The Bikeridersbecomes a hit on streaming after a disappointing run at the box office.Directed by Jeff Nichols and based on Danny Lyon’s photo book of the same name,The Bikeridersstars Austin Butleras Benny, a young biker who finds himself torn between his loyalty to his new club, the Vandals, and Kathy (Jodie Comer), his girlfriend. The film, which stars Tom Hardy as Johnny, the violent leader of the Vandals, was released earlier this year and grossed only $35.8 million worldwide.
New data fromReelgoodreveals thatThe Bikeridersranks as the tenth most popular movie on streaming for the week of August 22 – 28. The film, which is available to stream on Peacock, falls behind titles likeIncoming(2024),Alien(1979), andThe Killer(2024), among others. Check out the full top 10 chart below:
The Bikeriders' Streaming Success Explained
Why The Tom Hardy Movie Disappointed In Theaters
Made on an estimated budget of $40 million,The Bikeridersfailed to break even in theaters despite positive reviews and an impressive cast. The film currently enjoys a respectable 80% critics' score onRotten Tomatoesand scored 75% with audiences. A major reason for the film’s underperformance is its budget, asmid-budget movies that lack the spectacle of big-budget blockbuster fare can be a harder sell in theaters these days.The film’s biker gang subject matter and historical setting probably also gave the project more niche appeal.
Using the standard Hollywood rule of thumb,The Bikeriderswas likely looking at a break-even point of roughly $80 million to $100 million.
That being said, Butler, Hardy, and Comer are evidently enough to draw audiences on streaming. Hardy has been a reliable talent for years now, and, in addition to playing Venom, he’s made a name for himself in the mid-budget thriller space in which he often plays unique, highly flawed characters. Butler, too, is very much a star on the rise as he recently starred asFeyd-Rautha inDune: Part Two, which was critically acclaimed, as well as Apple TV+’s 2024 miniseries,Masters of the Air.
ThoughThe Bikeriders' reviewsand cast may not have been enough to drive the film to success in theaters, these two factors can evidently be powerful benefits on streaming.Audiences these days are more picky about what movies are worth seeing in theaters, often turning to big-budget blockbuster fare, but the streaming landscape means that movies like Nichols' 2024 crime thriller can still find success in the months and years after their releases. WhileThe Bikeridersmay have struggled in theaters, it’s clear that the film is now finding its audience.
What The Bikeriders' Theatrical Failure Means For The Cast
How Big Of A Deal Is It For Austin Butler & Jodie Comer?
Hardy continues to work regularly inside and outside of Hollywood, andThe Bikeriders' disappointing box office haul is unlikely to do any major damage to his career. Hardy, after all, is tried and true at this point and has a number of hits under his belt, and he’s a known enough quantity that one bump in the road won’t have a noticeable impact on the types of roles he’s offered moving forward. The film’s underperformance could, however, at least in theory, be more meaningful to stars like Butler and Comer, who are in earlier stages of their careers.
Though Hardy, Butler, and Comer are all well-regarded actors, the underperformance ofThe Bikeridersspeaks to the changing entertainment landscape and the fact that very few stars now have the ability to open a film purely on the power of their name alone.
After appearing in 2019’sOnce Upon A Time… in Hollywood, Butler rose to fame with 2022’sElvis, for which he was nominated for Best Actor. His next major theatrical release wasDune: Part Twoearlier this year, which was a critical and commercial smash hit. BothElvisandDune: Part Two, however, have audience appeal factors beyond Butler’s involvement.TheBikeriders, by contrast, used Butler’s star power as more of a selling point, andthe film’s box office haul could send a message that his name alone isn’t enough to draw audiences to theaters.
$40 million
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Comer has become one of the most exciting actors working in Hollywood today, but she hasn’t yet become an actor around which to anchor a film.2021’sFree Guy, for example, which was a hit, is very much aRyan Reynolds movieand was marketed as such, even though she plays a prominent role in it. Though Hardy, Butler, and Comer are all well-regarded actors, the underperformance ofThe Bikeridersspeaks to the changing entertainment landscape and the fact that very few stars now have the ability to open a film purely on the power of their name alone.
10 Best Movies Like The Bikeriders
Since the 1950s, there have been some great motorcycle-themed, on-the-road films that pair perfectly with Austin Butler’s The Bikeriders.
What Tom Hardy Is Doing After The Bikeriders
What Projects The Actor Has On The Horizon
The most high-profile release on Hardy’s horizon is undoubtedly theupcomingVenom: The Last Dance, due out on July 31, 2025, which will conclude his trilogy of villain-centric films in the Sony Spider-Man Universe.It’s still entirely possible, however, that Hardy will reprise his role as Eddie Brock/ Venom in a cameo capacity in future films. There was, at one point, talk of Hardy reprising his role as Max Rockatansky forMad Max: The Wasteland, but the failure of2024’sFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagasuggests this now probably won’t be happening.
Black Hawk Down
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The upcoming Hardy project that is most in line withThe Bikeriders, however, is a film calledHavoc.Hailing fromThe Raiddirector Gareth Evans,Havocis set to star Hardy as a detective fighting his way through the criminal underworld, and, while it doesn’t yet have a firm release date,Evans revealed in a social mediapost in July that he hopes the film will release in the first quarter of 2025. For now, though, those looking for a memorable Hardy role can watchThe Bikeriderson Peacock.
The Bikeriders
Cast
The Bikeriders is a 2024 drama exploring the turbulent relationship between Kathy and Benny, a member of the Vandals motorcycle club. As the club delves into violence, Benny faces a critical choice between staying with Kathy and his allegiance to the club.
