The Bikeriders is one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2024. The upcoming film stars Austin Butler and Jodie Comer with supporting performances by Tom Hardy and Michael Shannon. The Jeff Nichols movie is about the rise of a fictional Chicago motorcycle club that grows to become more dangerous as more members join. Hardy is known for his unique performances and dedication as an actor, however the commitment he made to The Bikeriders may just take the cake, considering it was made before filming even started.
CinemaBlend’s very own Eric Eisenberg attended an event for the buzzy new trailer of The Bikeriders, where director Jeff Nichols was present to introduce the new sneak peek for his latest movie. He also shared behind-the-scenes stories from the set, including one about Tom Hardy’s true commitment to the project. Apparently, The Dark Knight Rises actor got a tattoo to celebrate the movie before production on the film even began. Nichols said:
There’s the Vandals logo that we created for the fictional club in the film. And about two days before we started filming, I got a text from Tom Hardy, and it was a picture of that tattooed on his body, and the words said, ‘This movie better be good.’ So if Tom Hardy can get that tattoo before shooting a frame of film for this movie, there has to be a human being in this room that will go get it.
This is pretty impressive, and truly speaks to how dedicated Hardy was to the cause. This takes method acting to a whole new level, considering Hardy was stuck with he Vandals logo on his body long after Nichols called cut on the movie. Austin Butler is famously committed to his craft as well, but Hardy has him beat with this one. Actors get fake tattoos for characters all the time, but this may be the first time that someone got a permanent one for a character. Either Hardy was really committed to his character, or he thought the logo design was just so cool that he had to get it tattooed.
Hardy can now be added to a long list of actors who have gotten tattoos to commemorate a film they were in. The Avengers original cast famously got matching tattoos after making a number of movies together, and the 2016 Suicide Squad cast also got matching tattoos to celebrate their camaraderie. However, Hardy got his before the movie even started filming, which is a whole new level. The Bikeriders has already screened to festival audiences and is getting positive reviews, so hopefully Hardy has no regrets about his new ink.
The Bikeriders was one of the many films delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, so audiences have had to wait longer than expected to see Tom Hardy and his tattoo on the big screen. The film originally was eying an Oscars-friendly 2023 release date before being pushed way out to this upcoming summer. With so much time between production and release, one may think some of Tom Hardy’s cast members may join him in making the same permanent commitment. The actor may have some convincing to do on the press tour.
You can see Tom Hardy’s new tattoo in The Bikeriders, which finally hits theaters on June 21st 2024. The Mad Max: Fury Road star has a big year ahead of him, as he will also be starring in Venom 3, which hits cinemas in November. For more information on other notable titles heading to the big screen later this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.