Over five decades later, the classic film Easy Rider is getting the remake treatment. Variety reports that the movie, released in 1969, has a remake that’s in early development from current rights-holders including Kodiak Pictures, Eric B. Fleischman of Defiant Studios, and the Jean Boulle Group. At this time, the story hasn’t yet been crafted as the producers are on the search for bold filmmakers to write and/or direct the film. The idea is to “update the project for modern times with the same fringe spirit” as the original, pointing to how the Creed movies successfully brought new life into the Rocky series.

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Addressing the remake, Kodiak Pictures’ Maurice Fadida told the outlet, “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. 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.”

Directed by Dennis Hopper, Easy Rider starred Hopper alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. Hopper, Fonda, and Terry Southern also penned the screenplay. The film follows Hopper and Fonda as a pair of bikers traveling through the South carrying their gains from a lucrative drug deal. The film was a big hit at the box office, earning $60 million in 1969 money (worth around $490 million today). It was also met with widespread acclaim, winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay with Nicholson also getting the win for Best Supporting Actor.

Easy Rider Has Had a Prequel

     Pan America Pictures

A remake is new, but the film has gotten a prequel in the past, though it seems to have been largely forgotten. Released in 2012 by director Dustin Rikert, the film was dubbed Easy Rider: The Ride Back, and it featured an entirely new cast without the involvement of any of the same cast or crew from the first movie. The movie delves into the history of Wyatt Williams’ family, though it did not reach the heights of the original film in terms of profits or critical acclaim. It was pummeled with bad reviews and carries an audience score of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Because the film is still in very early development, the Easy Rider remake does not have a release date on the board at this time.