Austin Butler roars into Australian premiere for ‘The Bikeriders’
Rising Hollywood A-lister Austin Butler is about to bring out his own rebel without a cause energy to The Bikeriders, an intense new crime drama that follows the rise of a mid-Western motorcycle club from a collection point for outlaws before it transitions into a dangerous outlaw force. Butler was back in Australia following his work on the lauded 2022 epic Elvis, and he got a hell of an entry for the Sydney premiere of The Bikeriders as a part of the 2024 Sydney Film Festival, thanks to Harley Davidson.
The movie features various Harley-Davidson motorcycle models and celebrates moto culture which is the lynchpin for the motorcycle club – The Vandals and allows them ‘Freedom for the Fearless’ – the tagline of the film. Whilst the depiction of a motorcycle gang is dramatised and fictional, it demonstrates the freedom that riding can bring and the close-knit positive community it can build.
Interestingly, the Harley-Davidson 2024 Icons Collection – Hydra-Glide™ Revival – was directly inspired by the vintage motorcycles featured in the film, which you can read about here. The successful launch and popularity of this model in Australia and New Zealand can be attributed to the affinity H-D customers have for moto culture history and heritage.
In celebration of the premiere coming to Sydney, Harley-Davidson ANZ has partnered with Focus Features and Universal to create a premiere experience like no other. Ten Harley-Davidson motorcycles escorted the movie lead, Austin Butler in a motorcade as he arrived at State Theatre on Market Street in Sydney’s bustling CBD stopping traffic and creating an atmosphere like no other. To top it off the riders were wearing denim Vandals vests featured in the movie for a big visual impact.
Take a look at Austin Butler the red carpet for The Bikeriders Australian premiere below:
The Red Carpet also got the Harley-Davidson treatment with a Heritage Classic 114 displayed outside the State Theatre. The Heritage Classic 114 is a quintessential American cruiser, offering showstopping vintage details and pure rock ‘n’ roll style, reminiscent of the period in which the film is set.
The partnership with Universal doesn’t end there, with Universal using Harley-Davidson’s 2024 Icon – Hydra-glide Revival and the Heritage Classic – for the Media Call with Austin Butler set behind the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on Thursday morning before the premiere.
Nigel Keough, Managing Director at Harley-Davidson ANZ comments: “Harley-Davidson is an iconic 120-year-old brand that is synonymous with pop culture, featuring in many blockbuster films from Easy Rider, Footloose, Terminator, The Avengers Franchise, to Mad Max and The Bikeriders movies of 2024. The brand promotes freedom and the pursuit of adventure which is why it has longevity, appealing to all ages. It’s great to work with Universal and support the telling of this epic moto culture story to inspire riders of all ages across the globe.”
Harley-Davidson lives and breathes the ethos of United We Ride and offers motorcycles suited to everyone. From their newly launched 2024 Harley-Davidson X™350 and Harley-Davidson X™500 Learner Approved Models through to the new 2024 CVO Road Glide ST which is the quickest, fastest, and most sophisticated performance bagger ever produced by Harley Davidson and represents a unique collection of components providing high value to performance-minded riders. A deep solo seat and six-inch riser paired with a moto handlebar put the rider in an aggressive, upright position with West Coast custom style.
Get ready for rush of the open road when The Bikeriders arrives in cinemas on July 4.
Image: Universal Pictures
