Alexander Skarsgård never rests for long. Although I do not believe that my hope of him resurfacing on Mr. & Mrs. Smith‘s second season will come true, at least we got to see him in retired assassin mode. On a more definite note, he will star in Apple TV+’s Murderbot, and then there’s his upcoming kinky biker movie, which has recently been acquired by A24.
With an intro like that, let’s not waste any more time and move on to what we can expect from Pillion.
Plot
If you are thinking of “sexy” and “bikers” in the same sentence right now, you might be having half-serious thoughts about Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders (inspired by a true story), which did present a figurative love triangle, in which the relationship between Austin Butlers’ Benny and Jodie Comer’s Kathy experienced friction due to the charismatic lure of Tom Hardy’s Johnny. Now romance between bikers will get literal with Pillion.
In what Cornerstone Films calls “a fun and filthy romance with heart,” Pillion stars Skarsgård (The Stand, Succession, The Northman) as Ray, “the impossibly handsome leader of a motorbike club,” according to the film’s synopsis. He will take a special interest in “a weedy wallflower letting life pass him by,” Colin (Harry Melling of The Pale Blue Eye, The Queen’s Gambit, and several Harry Potter movies), as more than a club prospect. Ray then takes Colin “on as his submissive.” More from the synopsis:
Ray uproots Colin from his dreary suburban life, introducing him to a community of kinky, queer bikers and taking all sorts of virginities along the way. But as Colin steps deeper into Ray’s world of rules and mysteries, he begins to question whether the life of a 24/7 submissive is for him. Has he found his calling, or simply swapped one form of suffocation for another?
Well, Skarsgård already has dabbled on the other end of the leash (here he is modeling such an an accessory while promoting Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool), so perhaps we should have seen this role coming.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Harry Lighton wrote the script and will make his directorial debut for Cornerstone Films, and founders Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder have called the script “equally compelling and shocking as it is funny and entertaining — and one of the best we’ve read in years.” Consider the Skarsgård and Melling fanbases to be seated.
Release Date
Filming took place in Summer 2024, so it’s not a stretch to believe that we’ll see this in early-to-mid 2025.
Cast
Skarsgård and Milling are the only confirmed cast members at this time, although surely, loads more biker roles will be revealed before go-time.
Trailer
No teaser or trailer exists yet, but here’s a look at leashed (and switching) Skarsgård while promoting Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool.