The Bikeriders might have no association with Sons of Anarchy, but the two projects have a very important thing in common: they both feature bikes. And look very, very cool. Sure, Sons of Anarchy isn’t one of the best TV series of all time solely because they feature people looking cool on bikes, but you can’t pretend that it doesn’t help.
As for this new movie, which is helpfully entitled The Bikeriders, the recently-released trailer definitely harkened back to Sons of Anarchy’s glory days, as we got to see Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer all get in touch with their inner Sons.
Directed by Jeff Nichols, the drama movie will chronicle the rise and fall of a motorcycling club in the Midwest. Unlike Sons of Anarchy, The Bikeriders looks set to be more of a character study, but with a motorcycling club being the heart of the action, the similarities are clear.
Although we have sequel series Mayans MC, Kurt Sutter’s desired Sons of Anarchy spin-off never got off the ground, which is a shame because in a 2015 interview with Deadline, he said he already had an idea in mind.
“I [see it] as a one-off 10-or-12-episode thing where we begin in Nam and see John Teller and Piney and see how that relationship got created, and bring them back to the States and the obvious external dynamics that were going on with the country and the perception of the war and what an odd kind of perception these vets got when they returned home,” he explained.
“And then have it be the development of the club, ending before we start to get too close to some of the mythology that’s already been established.”
Sadly, this prequel may not ever happen, but if you’re looking for something to fill the void, The Bikeriders is already looking like it might be one of the best movies of the year. Since its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in August, it has amassed a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising it as “a striking memory piece” that “whisk[s] you away with a roar of mood and atmosphere.”
For more on Sons of Anarchy, check out our guides to the Sons of Anarchy cast, the Mayans MC season 5 cast, and the potential Mayans MC season 6 release date.
All seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy are available to stream on Disney Plus, and if you want to get the most out of the streaming service, be sure to check out the best Disney Plus shows, best Disney Plus movies, and everything new on Disney Plus this month.