Tom Hardy, Austin Butler flop becomes hit after OTT streaming

A crime drama, starring Hollywood actors Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, has found a new audience following its OTT streaming.

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Directed by Jeff Nichols, “The Bikeriders” failed at the box office, generating only $35 million, however, it has become a hit after it was added to the streaming service Peacock, according to a US media outlet.

The 1960s period movie tells the story of Benny, portrayed by Austin Butler, who joins a Chicago-based bike gang called ‘The Vandals,’ led by Tom Hardy’s Johnny.

The movie takes an interesting turn when he finds himself torn between his life with the gang and his girlfriend Kathy, played by Hollywood star Jodie Comer.

The cast of ‘The Bikeriders’ also includes Michael Shannon, Mike Faist and Norman Reedus.

Based on the Danny Lyon photo book of the same name, the movie was made with a modest budget of $40 million, however, it struggled to match its cost and managed to generate $35 million at the box office.

The low box office turnover came despite positive reviews and a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 75 percent.

However, ‘The Bikeriders’ gained newfound fame after it was streamed on Peacock as it became the tenth most popular movie on all OTT platforms for the week ending on August 28.

The Tom Hardy and Austin Butler starrer is also available to rent on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play and Apple TV.

Meanwhile, the list of the most popular movies across all streaming platforms also includes 1979’s “Alien,” “The Instigators” starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck on Apple TV, “Jackpot” starring John Cena and Awkwafina on Amazon Prime and “A Quiet Place: Day One” on Paramount+.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” which proved an underperformer at the box office, tops the list.

Hollywood star Tom Hardy, in an earlier interview with Variety, had revealed that he took up the role in ‘The Bikeriders’ with an aim to play against expectations.

“You look straight away at a biker movie and think, ‘Oh, it’s leather. It’s sexy. The music’s great. The hair’s great. The obvious choice is to play to all of these.’ So the obvious choice for somebody like me is to go to the counterpoint of all those. This guy is a tragic clown,” the “Venom” star said.