ONE of the most famous motorcycle movies of all time is set to get a modern-day remake, as the adaptation rights holders to Easy Rider confirm a new film is in the early stages of production.
The news comes from entertainment and lifestyle publisher Variety, which confirms that a consortium of stakeholders and producers are currently sourcing writers and directors for the new film.
Released in July 1969, Easy Rider starred Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson. It charted a journey of Fonda and Hopper, as the two toured through the American deep south on custom Harley-Davidson choppers. While the human stars of the film were already well-known actors, who would go on to find global fame, it was the bikes of the film that were the real stars of the movie.
One bike, in particular, became one of the most famous movie motorcycles of all time, the ‘Captain America’ stars and stripes chopper. That bike (the last remaining of two used for filming) was supposedly sold earlier this year for $1.3m, although Peter Fonda was not so sure of the authenticity of the machine.
Remake of motorcycle movie Easy Rider incoming
Squabbles aside, the new film is going ahead, although how the finished product will look remains to be seen. Variety reports that they aren’t looking at a straight reboot, and more of a remake of the film for modern times, focusing on modern-day counterculture.
Maurice Fadida, one of the producers of the remake, explained:
“Our goal is to build upon the counterculture and freedom narrative the original left us with, and give the youth of today a film that pays serious attention to their own countercultures and challenges,” Fadida told Variety. “What the young viewers of today are experiencing in their everyday lives may seem crazy to older generations, but it can very well become the societal norm, as was the case with the cultural shift of the late 1960s. We are hoping to play a part in that shift.”
