Attempts for a sequel to
Easy Rider date as far back as the 1980s when
Dennis Hopper and
Peter Fonda discussed a sequel called
Easy Rider A.D. which would've featured Hopper and Fonda's characters brought back to life in the far future and riding across a post-apocalyptic
United States but disputes between the first film's producer
Bert Schneider and
Columbia Pictures over the rights to
Easy Rider stonewalled development until a 1992 settlement where Schneider would retain the rights to sequels and remakes while Columbia would retain other rights. In May 2000, it was reported the sequel rights had been acquired by Glen Tobias from the original film's producer Bert Schneider along with an option for two further installments with Mikki Allen Willis set to write and direct a $30 million sequel for
Martin Landau's company Miracle Entertainment. By July of that year, it was reported that Miracle was fast tracking the project now titled
Easy Rider A.D. with the potential for shooting in November. In September 2002, it was reported that
Easy Rider A.D. had been acquired by producer Lauren Lloyd and the premise of the character of Wyatt “Captain America” Earp in prison after being falsely accused of murdering George Hanson and a new character setting out on the road to prove his innocence. In March 2003, it was reported that the Malibu Movie Company consisting of wife and husband Conroy and Harry Kanter (son of United WestLabs President Joe Kanter) and
Cincinnati based
criminal defense lawyer Phil Pitzer had acquired the sequel rights to
Easy Rider after prior rights holder Lauren Lloyd's attempts to make a sequel were tied up by the foreclosure of the financier Glenn Tobias. Conroy Kanter stated the intention with the sequel was to look at what freedom means in a contemporary setting. Dustin Rikert was hired to direct due to his reputation for being able to work quickly on shoestring budgets. In describing his intentions for the new
Easy Rider film, Pitzer stated: See, I'm a totally
laissez-faire guy. I'm apolitical. Yeah, I may be a little weird. I may not be the most normal cat. But, hey, let me be. That works, you know. That's the kind of thing this movie will be about. It's about allowing people to be free and not impose your will on them. I mean, it's
de Tocqueville. ==Release==