EXCLUSIVE: Mud director Jeff Nichols’ next project looks to be coming together with quite the A-list cast as Deadline is hearing Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy are set to lead the ensemble of The Bikeriders for New Regency. Nichols will direct the pic, which is a fictional story inspired by the photography of Danny Lyon and his 1967 book The Bikeriders.

Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones are producing through Tri-State, the company they share with Nichols, alongside New Regency. Fred Berger is executive producing.

The film is an original story set in the 1960s following the rise of a fictional Midwestern motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.

Nichols has been putting the project together since the spring, when he brought the script to the market and began meeting with talent. Nichols’ scripts always have drawn big talent, going back to films like Take Shelter and Mud, and it wasn’t long before big names began reaching out to discuss his new project. New Regency came on in May as Nichols was meeting with a number of actors for numerous roles, and deals began firming up during the past few weeks to get this film in position to shoot in October.

EXCLUSIVE: The ensemble for Jeff Nichols next feature film is continuing to grow as sources tell Deadline Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook and Damon Herriman have joined The Bikeriders at New Regency. Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy are already on board. Nichols will direct the pic, which is a fictional story inspired by the photography of Danny Lyon and his 1967 book The Bikeriders.

Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones are producing through Tri-State, the company they share with Nichols, alongside New Regency. Fred Berger is executive producing.

The film is an original story set in the 1960s following the rise of a fictional Midwestern motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.

“Austin Butler, Michael Shannon, Tom Hardy, Mike Faist, Emory Cohen, Norman Reedus… Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders is like the Avengers of grease and weird accents. doesn’t really hang together but always fun to see something where everyone is making a CHOICE with each line.” — David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“THE BIKERIDERS isn’t really about a club of bikeriders. It’s an elegy to universes long gone. It affected me for that.” — Kris Tapley

“THE BIKERIDERS disappoints as a weak copy of Goodfellas. Accents go off the wall (especially Jodie Comer) where everyone is making wildly different choices that don’t compliment each other. Austin Butler ekes out a good performance but the framing device does him no favors” — Erik Anderson, Awards Watch

“The Bikeriders is Jeff Nichols love letter to 60s-70s motorcycle culture. It is well-shot but the story did very little to engage me. Jodie Comer delivers the film’s best performance. Austin Butler looks the part but doesn’t really act. Tom Hardy is Tom Hardy.” — Scott Menzel, HFCA

“The Bikeriders is quite good. Jodie Comer is once again incredible (is she ever not?). Pains me a bit to say it but maybe Tom Hardy’s best performance in over a decade? Review coming in the wee morning hours” — Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist

“THE BIKERIDERS: Excellent film written & directed by JEFF NICHOLS! Riveting, engrossing & consuming! You feel the vibe of the last great era of bikeriders! Gritty, moody & atmospheric! Tom Hardy, Austin Butler & Jodie Comer are terrific! A triumph!” — Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood

“Jodie Comer is tremendous in THE BIKERIDERS, a shaggy, familiar, lightly funny ensemble piece from Jeff Nichols.” — David Canfield, Vanity Fair

“The Bikeriders is Jeff Nichols’ most mainstream work to date. Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy are suitably intense. There aren’t really any surprises to be found in this one, but it’s a solid film to kick off Telluride.” — Joey Magidson, Awards Circuit

“THE BIKERIDERS is an evocative & masculine story of brotherhood. Austin Butler oozes sex appeal & cool intensity while Tom Hardy’s bears the crushing weight of leadership but it’s Jodie Comer who owns the film with her transformative talent. A roaring return for Jeff Nichols.” — Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

“There hasn’t been a movie like this in some time. There’s no other way to say it: Dudes…….rock.” — Sean Fenessey, The Ringer

“If Jeff Nichols were to make a Scorsese mafioso movie, it would look very much like BIKERIDERS. Exceptional ensemble work, and a stunning performance from Jodie Comer. Side note: few things as captivating on the big screen as Austin Butler smoking.” — Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert

“This photo by Danny Lyon inspired Jeff Nichols to create one of the most surprising pieces of art I’ve seen. The Bikeriders is a fantastic film full of great performances. Nichols’ best work to date. Astoundingly good. Elvis made Butler an Oscar nominee. This makes him a star.” — Clarence Moye, Awards Daily

“The Bikeriders was absolutely badass. Jodie Comer was lights out. The Goodfellas for motorcycle gangs” — Mark Johnson, Awards Daily

From writer-director Jeff Nichols (“Loving,” “Midnight Special,” “Mud”), 20th Century Studios and New Regency, “The Bikeriders” is a furious drama following the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members, starring Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve,” “The Last Duel”), Austin Butler (“Elvis”) and Tom Hardy (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Revenant”).

“The Bikeriders” opens in U.S. theaters on December 1.

Sources say it was New Regency’s decision, not Disney’s, to find a new home for “The Bikeriders.” It’s unclear whether Disney will remain on the hook to release the film if another studio or streamer doesn’t acquire distribution rights.

Though “The Bikeriders” is primarily based on a book of photographs, Comer had the added bonus of real-life audio of the woman she was playing. It was 30 minutes long, and it immediately became clear that Kathy didn’t have a typical North Chicago accent (though it is very Midwestern) for reasons unknown.

So Comer was faced with a choice: go for the accent people might expect, considering the Vandals were based out of Chicago, or stay true to Kathy herself. The actress was adamant about doing the latter and she kept that audio close by to do it.

“That was like, basically my Spotify playlist, you know?” Comer told TheWrap. “I lived with that whenever I could. We kind of broke the scenes apart, so when I was kind of working on the script and dissecting it, I had separate audios for the particular scenes. But there was just so much to kind of unearth.”

For those unfamiliar with a Chicago or broadly Midwestern accent, the tricky part is the As and the Os. Those vowels are particularly rounded. On top of that, the real-life Kathy had a very nasal voice, which Comer focused on nailing. At this point, it’s not an accent she could just fall back into.