‘The Bikeriders’ Aiming For Cannes Premiere

Jeff Nichols wrapped shooting “The Bikeriders” in Ohio last month. The main cast consists of Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. I’m told it is now aiming for a Cannes premiere next May.

This new film is said to be a fictional story inspired by the photography of Danny Lyon and his 1967 book The Bikeriders. If you’ve been following Nichols over the years then you know he’s been trying very hard to get this passion project greenlit.

“The Bikeriders” is set in the 1960s following the rise of a fictional, midwestern motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a full-out gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.

It’s been 5 years since “Loving.” Nichols is coming off the longest break of his career. His filmography includes “Take Shelter,” “Mud,” and “Midnight Special.”

Nichols has always been on my Cannes predictions. It’s not such a big surprise that he’s aiming to premiere “The Bikeriders” there. French critics love him as much as they love James Gray!

I had mentioned last month that Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “On Barren Weeds” was assured a spot in competition for next year’s 76th edition of the festival. My early predictions haven’t changed much since then …

As I had reported, Terrence Malick’s “The Way of the Wind” won’t be ready. Also, Andrew Haigh’s “Strangers” is, sadly, rumored to have a HULU premiere in early spring.

Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City”
Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest”
Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things”
Woody Allen’s “WASP22”
Steve McQueen’s “Blitz”
Todd Haynes’ “May/December”
Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers”
Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders”
Ari Aster’s “Disappointment Blvd”
Lynne Ramsay’s “Stone and Mattress”
Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla”
Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera”
Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “On Barren Weeds”
Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw”
Michel Franco’s “Memory”
Roman Polanski’s “The Palace”
Matteo Garrone’s “The Captain”
Ken Loach’s “The Old Oak”
Aki Kaurismaki’s “Fallen Leaves”
Jean-Luc Godard’s “Scenario”
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster”
Lisandro Alonso’s “Eureka”
Catherine Breillat’s “Last Summer”
Bruno Dumont’s “The Empire”
Abdherrane Sissako’s “The Perfumed Hill”
Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall”
Robin Campillo’s “École de l'air”
Maiwenn’s “La Favorite”
Nanni Moretti’s “Il sol dell'avvenire”
Marco Bellocchio’s “La Conversione”
Jessica Hausner’s “Club Zero”
Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Limonov”
Radu Jude’s “Do Not Expect too Much of the End …” Bertrand Bonnello’s “The Beast”