‘Caught Stealing’ By Darren Aronofsky.
In March, Darren Aronofsky set his next film at Sony Pictures, titled “Caught Stealing”, a crime thriller adapted from the book by Charlie Huston. Sony Pictures recently landed the package. Austin Butler (Elvis) is set to star in the pic. The script will be written by Huston, Aronofsky will be directing and Protozoa will be producing.
After a strong start to 2024 with “Masters of Air” and “Dune Part 2”, the Oscar-nominee Butler is looking to build on that success and is teaming up with another Oscar-nominated director. Aronofsky added “I am excited to be teaming up with my old friends at Sony Pictures to bring Charlie’s adrenaline-soaked roller coaster ride to life. I can’t wait to start working with Austin and my family of NYC filmmakers”
Caught Stealing follows Hank Thompson, a burned-out former baseball player, as he’s unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of 90’s NYC.
In July, Zoe Kravitz (The Batman) and Regina King joined the cast, while in August, Matt Smith (House of the Dragon), Liev Schreiber (Spotlight) and Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny joined the Aronofsky film.
‘Caught Stealing’ will start principal photography in September. there’s also an expanded plot synopsis that’s been gathered up: The plot is set in the concrete jungle of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where former baseball player Henry “Hank” Thompson finds himself bartending and caring for a troublesome cat named Bud. When his neighbor abruptly leaves town and entrusts Hank with Bud, he unwittingly becomes entangled in a dangerous game. Attacked by two Russians, Hank realizes he’s caught in the crosshairs of a mysterious agenda. Suddenly, he’s thrust into a frantic race against time, navigating rooftops, evading the NYPD, and confronting a tangled web of criminals— all to unravel the enigma surrounding Bud and his newfound perilous existence. All because, once upon a time, all Hank ever aimed for was to make it to the third base, without any trouble.
After his Oscar-nominated star-making performance as the King of Rock N Roll in 2022’s “Elvis”, Butler stormed back in a big way with the “Band Of Brothers” sequel, “Masters of Air” on Apple TV+, He followed that up with his scene-stealing role as the villain Feyd Ratha in Dune Part 2, which has grossed more than $600 million at the global box-office so far. Butler had been considering several options and per usual was drawn to the opportunity to work with another A-list director after working with Baz Luhrman and Deni Villeneuve.
Best known for his dark dramas like “Requiem for a Dream”, “Pi”, “Mother!” and “Black Swan”, Aronofsky has earned a reputation for getting the most out of his actors, with most recently Brendan Fraser winning the Oscar for his part in “The Whale”— which grossed $54 million worldwide on a skimp $3 million budget. He also recently premiered the first ever experience for MSG’s Sphere in Las Vegas, entitled “Postcard From Earth” which was shot on every continent on Earth using unprecedented technology. With every Aronofsky film, and he’s only directed eight in the last 25 years, he tried to do something different, every single time. He also has an Elon Musk biopic in the works at A24.
There’s no DP attached to “Caught Stealing” yet, given that it’s starting production in September, we can expect the film to hit major film festivals next summer.
