Jeff Nichols Drama ‘The Bikeriders’ Set for December Release

Walt Disney Pictures announced Friday that Jeff Nichols’ latest film, “The Bikeriders,” will debut in theaters in December under the 20th Century banner.

The film was previously announced as a period drama set in the 1960s and is inspired by Danny Lyon’s photography from his 1967 book from which the film derives its name. It follows the rise of a fictional, Midwestern motorcycle club. The club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.

The film stars a bevy of A-list talent including Tom Hardy, Nichols alum Michael Shannon, Jodi Comer, Austin Butler, Norman Reedus and Body Holbrook.

Nichols is writing and directing the feature after a seven-year hiatus. His last feature was the Joel Edgerton/Ruth Negga-starring drama “Loving” in 2016. Nichols is also the director of “Midnight Special,” “Shotgun Stories,” “Take Shelter” and “Mud.” Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones are producing through Tri-State, the company they share with Nichols, alongside New Regency.

The film fills a vacancy initially listed for an untitled Disney movie. Despite questions of how the fall slate will look in a world where both WGA writers and SAG-AFTRA actors are on strike, Disney plopping this right in the middle of awards season is an interesting sign. “The Bikeriders” debuts a week after Disney’s major animated feature, “Wish,” and a week before the weirdly dual releases of the Emma Stone-starring “Poor Things” and the Jonathan Majors drama “Magazine Dreams.”

“The Bikeriders” hits theaters Dec. 1.

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