A reimagining of the classic 1969 counterculture film “Easy Rider” is in early development, Variety has learned exclusively.
A consortium of stakeholders and producers — including Maurice Fadida’s Kodiak Pictures, Defiant Studios’ Eric B. Fleischman, and the Jean Boulle Group — own the adaptation rights to the project originally released by Columbia Pictures.
The original “Easy Rider” is credited with showcasing a changing sociopolitical landscape in America, particularly through the lens of its restless and progressive youth. Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Terry Southern wrote the drug-laden motorcycle epic, which Hopper directed and in which both he and Fonda starred. The film is also known for giving an early boost to a young Jack Nicholson.
Producers behind the reboot are currently in search of bold writers and/or directors to update the project for modern times with the same fringe spirit (filmmakers used the Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed” and its relationship to the “Rocky” as a comp for their ambitions).
“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.”
In its day, “Easy Rider” scored two Oscar nominations and contended for the Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palme d’Or prize. It ranks as one of the best 100 films of all time from the American Film Institute. The project also grossed $60 million at the worldwide box office on a reported $400,000 budget.
The Jean Boulle Group deals in natural resources, medical technology, therapeutics, and philanthropy. It has completed transactions up to $5 billion. The group often co-invests alongside state investment and pension funds and uses industry knowledge to discover, evaluate and develop new enterprises.