The Bikeriders, starring Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, has been pulled from Disney and 20th Century’s release schedule amid the ongoing actors strike. The period drama follows a fictional biker gang’s rise to power in the Midwest, detailing how the club evolves over the course of a decade. Alongside Hardy and Butler, other stars for the film include Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, and Norman Reedus.
Now, Variety reports The Bikeriders has been postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors strike. The film, which was dated for December 1, 2023, now won’t be coming out until an unknown, later date. However, there are still hopes the film can come out later in December to qualify for the Oscars.
Why The Actors Strike Has Impacted Movie Releases
Hardy and Butler’s latest film hasn’t been the only one to get delayed due to the actors strike. A number of other movies have had their release dates pushed back in the months since the strike began. This includes the destined-for-success Dune: Part Two, Emma Stone’s Poor Things, and Zendaya’s romance film Challengers among others. With so many high-profile movies pushing their release dates back, it’s no surprise The Bikeriders has joined them.
Because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, actors are not allowed to advertise upcoming projects they’re in. Since studios don’t have actors to promote upcoming movies, the strike puts some films at risk of bombing at the box office or making lower profits than anticipated. This, in turn, has caused some major films to be delayed, as actors aren’t able to give interviews or advertise their films until the strike has been resolved.
As of writing, it’s unclear when SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP will come to a deal following negotiations breaking down earlier this month. While WGA writers are making movies for studios on paper now that the writers strike is over, actors are still necessary to bring those stories to life – and advertise them for audiences. Given the pause on negotiations now, it’s unclear if The Bikeriders will be the last movie to get a release date shift before the strike is over.
