All the greasy, grungy fits from Austin Butler’s new film ‘Caught Stealing’

The new Darren Aronofsky film is looking appropriately punk. Here, we round up all the looks from the set so far, as well as details of the stacked cast

By Tyler Dane Wingco

Published: Nov 12, 2024

Austin Butler and Matt Smith on the set of 'Caught Stealing'. — Austin Butler and Matt Smith on the set of ‘Caught Stealing’. Image: Getty Images

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY be happening on the set of Caught Stealing? Currently filming around New York City, Austin Butler‘s new film looks to be Marty Supreme‘s weird older cousin. There are photos of Butler covered in blood and bruises and wearing very grungy, gritty, and shall we say . . . washed-up looking fits. Of course, he still looks hot.

As whack as the looks are so far, the film is helmed by Darren Aronofsky, so expect this to be one of his classic surrealist melodramas. Here, we round up all the looks spotted on set so far, as well as the stacked cast (Zoë Kravitz! Bad Bunny! Regina King!) and what to expect from the plot, which is actually adapted from a novel of the same name.

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**What is Caught Stealing about?**

Caught Stealing is an adaptation of a book of the same name, written by Charlie Huston. The book was first published in 2004.

The film follows Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a burned-out ex-baseball player living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, as he becomes caught up in the business of the criminal underbelly of 1990s New York City. It’s a story of survival for the former prodigy, who after suffering a leg injury turns to binge drinking and working as a bartender, where he meets his love interest Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz).

**Who is in the cast of Caught Stealing?**

Austin Butler plays Hank Thompson, a baseball prodigy whose given up on his chances of a major-league career after a hard slide into third base resulting in a broken leg. We’ll find Thompson, a displaced Californian, living in the Lower East Side of Manhattan before trouble ensues when he starts hanging out with the wrong crowd.
Zoë Kravitz will play Yvonne, Hank’s love interest. The two meet while working as bartenders. As Hank wallows away binge drinking, paralysed by his misfortunes, him and Yvonne have an affair.
Matt Smith plays Red, a thug, not that his hair would say otherwise. Red is one of the main underworld figures Hank encounters frequently.
Bad Bunny will play Colorado. The Grammy-winning Latin artist has been carving out a filmography, his first acting role came in Narcos: Mexico, followed by Bullet Train where he played an assassin. Not much is known about his character yet, but judging by his his costume, and his red dye-job for the film, Bad Bunny could be playing an underbelly figure.
Regina King plays Roman, another thug leader in pursuit of Hank.
Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio are also starring but their roles are not yet confirmed. But from recent behind the scenes photos from the set, dressed in almost matching costumes, you could guess Schreiber and D’Onofrio are playing brothers Ed and Paris, gangsters who are also in pursuit of Hank. Schreiber was last seen playing Nicole Kidman’s husband in Netflix’s The Perfect Couple. And it’s a another perfect casting for D’Onofrio, if his work as Kingpin in Daredevil is anything to go by.

Other cast members include Will Brill, Griffin Dunne, George Abud, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Action Bronson, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Gregg Bello, Nikita Kukushkin, Macy Rodman, Eddie De Harp. Details about their characters are still under wraps.

Zoë Kravitz and Austin Butler filming a bar scene in ‘Caught Stealing’. Image: INSTAGRAM | @austinbnews

Who is directing Caught Stealing?

Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky is directing Caught Stealing.

You might know the Brooklyn-born filmmaker for his surrealist and melodramatic flicks, best seen in his credits such as The Whale (2022), Black Swan (2010), or Requiem for a Dream (2000). So Caught Stealing is perhaps a return to the thriller genre for the director. And Aronofsky, like Safdie and Marty Supreme, are one of a few excellent directors who consistently return to stories about their native New York and exploring its social fabric in their work.

It should be noted that two actors have won Oscars for their leading roles in Aronofsky’s films: Brendan Fraser for The Whale in 2023, and Natalie Portman for Black Swan in 2011. So will this role be Austin Butler’s return to the Oscars race?