Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, the crime-drama movie The Bikeriders, starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Norman Reedus, and more, is based on the journalistic photography book of the same name by Danny Lyon. The movie goes on to depict the rise and fall of a fictional version of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club, The Vandals, and many of the characters in the movie are based on the pictures in Lyon’s book.

Austin Butler
Austin Butler’s The Bikeriders will release on digital platform on July 9 | Focus Features

The movie premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival in August 2023 and was recently released on June 21, 2024. Initially scheduled to release in December 2023, the movie’s release date was pushed back due to SAG-AFTRA strikes. The Bikeriders received a positive response upon its release and already has a digital release date.

Austin Butler starrer The Bikeriders gets a digital release date

Recently released Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, and more, currently holds a score of 81% from the critics and 75% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie managed to gross over $14 million domestically and has gained attention for the exceptional performances by the actors in the movie.

Despite being a recent release, Focus Features has decided to let The Bikeriders make its way for a digital release just 18 days after the theatrical release. According to World of Reel, the movie will be available on VOD starting July 9, 2024. This formula is not surprising to the audience, as Glen Powell’s Hit Man received a positive response upon its release in May 2024.

Austin Butler's The Bikeriders to follow Glen Powell's Hit Man's formula
Glen Powell in Hit Man | AGC Studios

Netflix acquired the distribution rights for Hit Man for about $20 million after the movie premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, making it the largest film deal of 2023. The movie rose to critical acclaim after it made its debut on Netflix in June. Hit Man holds a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a successful movie, which The Bikeriders aim to achieve.

According to Observer, Rich Greenfield, partner at technology media and telecommunications research, shared,

Every studio recognizes that movies are important drivers of SVOD. Right now, they love to double dip by getting their box office profits and an SVOD bang. But studios are increasingly realizing that shorter theatrical windows lead to bigger SVOD bangs.

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It turns out movies have started to perform way better in terms of collection on SVOD compared to theaters, which is why the studios have shorter release windows for certain movies.

Fans react to The Bikeriders’ early digital release

Ardent moviegoers, after reading the release date for The Bikeriders for digital, decided to take it to their social media to express their honest views on the situation. Users went ahead to question the fact that the studios were keen on releasing the movie on the digital platform just 17 days after the movie made it to the big screen. Another user noted, ‘That’s just ridiculous. It’s barely been a month in theaters, and it’s a movie to see IN theaters’.

Austin Butler and Jodie Comer
Austin Butler and Jodie Comer’s chemistry was highly appreciated | Focus Features

An online user, however, mentioned, ‘The movie was really good. Although it’s DoA, Anyway, due to it coming out during Insider Out 2, Quite Place and Minions, Should have been released in mid-August.’ Another user said that there was hardly any marketing done for the movie and noted that this is why the movies are flopping.

World of Reel pointed out that despite the success of Inside Out 2, the movie’s business is struggling and is in a desperate predicament. The publication reported that while the studios are trying to find an answer to why their movies are not working or underperforming, it is pretty obvious that VOD/SVOD has become a major source of backup income for them.

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However, the publication also noted that the shorter theatrical release has somehow become a cause for concern as it dilutes the theatrical experience. But at the end of the day it’s the collection of the movie that needs to be seen.

The Bikeriders will be available on SVOD as well as Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Vudu.

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