Sony Brings Darren Aronofsky to Las Vegas to Debut Trailer of Austin Butler-Starrer ’Caught Stealing’
The Colosseum stage inside Caesars Palace caught some star power courtesy of a new trailer featuring in Caught Stealing during Sony’s presentation at CinemaCon on Monday.
The studio used the occasion to debut the first look at ’s film, which is set to hit theaters on Aug. 29 from Sony label Columbia Pictures. Aronofsky directed Caught Stealing from a script by Charlie Huston, who wrote the books on which the movie is based. The film casts Butler as Hank Thompson, a former baseball player, who is unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of ‘90s New York City.
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Aronofsky himself hit the stage in what marked his first CinemaCon appearance. “I was trying to figure out why no studio had never invited me before. I think the answer is kind of obvious,” the auteur joked. “Sony brought me because there’s something different in this movie. I wanted to do something that was a lot of fun.”
Aronofsky said he first read Huston’s book 15 years ago but couldn’t get the rights. Then a few years back, they connected again and started discussions. Then came Aronofsky’s The Whale. During press for the film that ended up winning Brendan Fraser a best actor Oscar, they crossed paths with Elvis star Butler who was thick in awards season at the time as well. He called him a “gentleman, a really great human and definitely a movie star,” and someone who could play a baseball phenom whose potential is derailed by a “stupid mistake” in his youth.
Produced by Protozoa, the cast also includes Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Matt Smith and . Adding to the fun of the film, Aronofsky said it’s set in the ‘90s in New York City, a time that was “peak humanity” when the “biggest threat was Y2K.” He shot the film there as well, calling it “a true love letter to the greatest city in the world,” which happens to be his hometown.
The trailer proved to be a lot of fun as well, showing Butler’s bartender getting caught up with a wild cast of dangerous misfits (including Smith with a punk mohawk and lots of leather). Kravitz appears to play Butler’s love interest, as they are seen kissing in a hallway and in an underwear-clad love scene.
Butler’s other forthcoming projects include Ari Aster’s Eddington, which is also set to star Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone. Aronofsky last helmed the 2022 drama The Whale. His competition in the category included Butler for his electric work in Elvis.
CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema owners and Hollywood studios, is hosted in Las Vegas by the newly rebranded Cinema United, which for decades was known as the National Association of Theatre Owners. This year’s edition runs from March 31 to April 3.
Sony’s CinemaCon filmmakers for 2025: Destin Daniel Cretton, Darren Aronofsky, Bob Persichetti, Phil Lord, Justin K. Thompson, Tyree Dillihay, Nia DaCosta, Zach Cregger, Danny Boyle and Kogonada attend the studio’s presentation at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on March 31, 2025.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
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