THE BIKERIDERS COMING TO VOD JUST 18 DAYS AFTER THEATRICAL DEBUT
- The Bikeriders, starring Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, moves to VOD 18 days after its theatrical debut.
- The film struggled to find an audience amidst big-budget releases, earning $23.7 million against a $40 million budget.
- Theatrical movies quickly moving to VOD is becoming more common, impacting original ideas and studio focus on successful IPs.
Director Jeff Nichols’ new film, The Bikeriders, is coming to VOD just 18 days after its theatrical debut. Starring the likes of Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Norman Reedus, and Jodie Comer, The Bikeriders tells the story of the fictionalized motorcycle club, Vandals MC, and their rise to prominence in Chicago during the 1960s. Based on the photo-book of the same name by Danny Lyon, The Bikeriders hit theaters on June 21, 2024, and has thus far earned $23.7 million against its budget of nearly $40 million.
As per ComicBook.com, The Bikeriders will make its way to VOD on July 9, 2024, just 18 days after it debuted in theaters. Despite having a favorable Rotten Tomatoes score of 81%, the film has struggled to find an audience among big budget releases such as Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Inside Out 2, and A Quiet Place: Day One. Earning $9.7 million dollars its opening weekend, The Bikeriders saw a drop of 66% the following week, taking in just $3.3 million.
The Bikeriders
The Bikeriders is just another film on a growing list that features theatrical movies making their way to VOD earlier than expected. The latest film to make the jump to home video shortly after its theatrical release is Ishana Night Shyamalan’s debut feature, The Watchers, starring Dakota Fanning. Produced on a budget of $30 million, the film only managed to take in $30.7 million since its premiere on June 7, 2024. It made its way to VOD on June 28, just 21 days following its theatrical release.
Movies Are Going From Theaters to VOD Faster Than Ever
Back before the time of streaming, audiences would typically have to wait a good 90 days before a theatrical release made its way to physical media in order to watch at home, and in the case of big budget event films, even longer. With the advent of streaming and VOD, that window has since narrowed significantly. Theatrical movies are now being made available to rent or purchase on VOD platforms such as Prime Video sooner than anyone could have imagined, and in most cases it's in an effort for studios to recoup their losses from films that were expected to do well in theaters, but failed to live up to projections.
The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling is a recent example, as it went from theaters to VOD in just 18 days. The film has grossed $174 million thus far against a budget of $150 million, with estimates being that it will need to earn around $300 million just to break even. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is another example, as it was released in theaters on May 24, 2024, and went to VOD just 31 days later on June 24.
Tom Hardy Explains How He Came Up With His 'Bugs Bunny' Voice In The Bikeriders
Tom Hardy stars as Johnny in The Bikeriders, a man with weaknesses, flaws, and a unique voice that Hardy says is a "little like Bugs Bunny."
While it may be advantageous for people who prefer to watch movies at home rather than spending money at the theater due to the rising cost of living, it also adds to the debate that Hollywood seemingly has no original ideas left. While people may claim that such is the case, it’s often those same people that choose to stay home when something fresh like The Bikeriders or The Watchers hits theaters, thus leading to their quick VOD release.
The more this continues to happen, the more big studios will instead focus on successful IPs rather than taking a chance on an up-and-coming filmmaker with a fresh screenplay, thus keeping theaters filled with reboots and sequels rather than the original ideas people so desperately claim they want.
The Bikeriders is now available to rent or purchase on all VOD platforms.