THE BIKERIDERS GLOBAL BOX OFFICE REVS UP WITH MUTED DEBUT
- The Bikeriders has brought in a muted haul in its global debut.
- The movie has made $14 million globally so far, with overseas markets showing strong interest, particularly in the United Kingdom.
- The Bikeriders features a talented ensemble cast including Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer.
Director Jeff Nichols has worked with modest budgets for the majority of his acclaimed career, and his movies have mostly delivered modest results at the box office. But the stakes are higher than ever with The Bikeriders, his star-driven crime-drama that debuted this weekend in nearly 50 global territories along with the domestic market. Produced on a reported budget between $30 million and $40 million — the biggest that Nichols has worked with — the movie made $10 million domestically and another $4 million from overseas markets, for a cumulative global haul of $14 million.
Nearly $1.5 million of that overseas haul came from the United Kingdom, marking Nichols’ best opening from his widest release. In countries such as France, Mexico, and Italy, The Bikeriders opened in line with the recent drama The Iron Claw, which is being seen as a comparable title, considering its period setting and attractive ensemble cast. But while Zac Efron remains a popular star, Austin Butler is operating on a different plane currently.
Fresh off his villainous turn in Dune: Part Two and a leading performance in the Apple TV+ period drama Masters of the Air, Butler was understandably at the front-and-center of The Bikeriders’ publicity tour, even though the movie also features Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, and Mike Faist, who was most recently seen in Challengers. Incidentally, Challengers is one of the two 2024 releases that appeared to revive the mid-budget marketplace. Produced on a reported budget of $55 million, Challengers grossed over $90 million worldwide. Alex Garland’s Civil War, on the other hand, made nearly $115 million globally against a reported budget of $50 million.
Can 'The Bikeriders' Continue a Successful Streak for Mid-Budget Studio Movies?
The Bikeriders should be aiming for similar results. The reviews have been encouraging enough; the movie holds a “fresh” 82% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with Collider’s Emma Kiely calling it a “mixed bag” in her review. The Bikeriders was originally supposed to be released by 20th Century Studios last year but was dropped from the release calendar amid the industry-wide strikes. Focus Features picked it up for domestic release, with Universal handling overseas markets.
Nichols dropped out as director of the upcoming A Quiet Place: Day One to helm The Bikeriders, effectively sacrificing sure-fire success in favor of a bigger risk. He broke out with the revenge drama Shotgun Stories, and went on to helm the acclaimed Mud, starring Matthew McConaughey, and the science-fiction drama Midnight Special, starring Adam Driver and Kirsten Dunst. His last film was Loving, which earned Ruth Negga an Oscar nomination. You can watch The Bikeriders in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
The Bikeriders
Follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club as it evolves over the course of a decade - from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group's way of life.