Austin Butler to Star in Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Caught Stealing’ for Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures has acquired Academy Award nominee Darren Aronofsky’s (“The Whale,” “Black Swan”) crime thriller “Caught Stealing,” which will star Academy Award nominee Austin Butler (“Dune: Part Two,” “Elvis”), the studio announced on Wednesday.

Based on the book by Charlie Huston, the script will be written by Huston with Protozoa producing.

“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 ‘90s NYC.

“Darren is one of the most brilliant audiovisual storytellers in the world, and adapting these wonderful books by Charlie Huston for Austin to star was too exciting an opportunity to not be a part of,” Sanford Panitch, president of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, said in a statement to TheWrap.

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.”

The director is the latest filmmaker to join the studio’s roster, which includes Sam Mendes, who is directing and producing a story about The Beatles with four theatrical feature films, Taika Waititi, currently filming “Klara and the Sun,” Danny Boyle, directing “28 Years Later,” and Kogonada, directing “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.”

Aronofsky’s earlier directing credits include “π,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Fountain” and “The Wrestler,” as well as his Academy Award-nominated direction on “Black Swan.” His most recent film “The Whale,” which garnered two Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Brendan Fraser.

He also recently directed the first-ever experience for MSG’s Sphere in Las Vegas, entitled “Postcard From Earth.”

Butler was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor of his starring role in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis.” He is currently starring in Denis Villeneuve’s box office hit and critically acclaimed “Dune: Part Two,” opposite Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet. Up next, he will star in Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders.” Butler is also set to star in and produce Sony’s 3000 Pictures film adaptation of best-selling author Don Winslow’s “City on Fire,” which Academy Award-nominated producer David Heyman and Shane Salerno are also producing. He also currently stars in Apple TV’s miniseries “Masters of Air,” a continuation of the “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” franchise from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. His other credits include Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” and Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die.”

Huston is the author of 13 novels, including “Catchpenny,” which will be published on April 9, “Sleepless,” “The Shotgun Rule” and “Already Dead.” He has developed original TV projects for HBO, FX, FOX, Sony, Max and Tomorrow Studios. His scripted podcast “Trashfire!” is being produced by Atomic Monster for Audible.

Aronofsky is repped by CAA, Narrative and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Butler is repped by WME, Anonymous Content, Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern and The Lede Company. Huston is repped by Katz Golden Lerner and Writers House.

Deadline first reported the news.

The post Austin Butler to Star in Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Caught Stealing’ for Sony Pictures appeared first on TheWrap.