Caught Stealing Steals The Box Office: Austin Butler Outmuscles The Smashing Machine Despite Digital Release
Despite a fresh digital release, Austin Butler’s Caught Stealing is still packing theaters after its August 29 debut—drawing more moviegoers than Dwayne Johnson’s The Smashing Machine.
Two very different star vehicles hit theaters within weeks of each other: Austin Butler in a gritty crime flick and Dwayne Johnson in a bruising biopic. One of them is quietly finding a second wind on digital while the other is still struggling to get off the mat. Here is how this surprisingly lopsided matchup is playing out.
Box office: Butler vs The Rock, and it is not close
'Caught Stealing' opened August 29 and pulled in a $7 million opening weekend. It has since reached $31 million worldwide, split roughly $19 million domestic and $12 million international, according to Box Office Mojo.
By comparison, 'The Smashing Machine' launched October 3 and currently sits at $17 million worldwide, with $10 million domestic. Its $5 million opening was $2 million lighter than Butler's film, per Box Office Mojo. So even before we talk about digital, audiences showed up more for Butler's movie than for Johnson's.
Digital release gives 'Caught Stealing' a pulse
After its theatrical run, 'Caught Stealing' went to PVOD — that is digital rental or purchase, not a subscription streamer. And weirdly enough, it is working. FlixPatrol has it in the iTunes Top 10 this week, and it is also charting in Prime Video's digital store in Australia. For a movie that stumbled theatrically, cracking Top 10 charts on transactional platforms is a nice bit of afterburn.
Still a money loser on paper
The math is still ugly. Against a reported $40 million budget, the theatrical total stalled at $31 million. ScreenRant estimates it would need around $100 million to break even once you factor in marketing and the usual studio accounting. Two months after release, a theatrical profit is a long shot. The silver lining is that PVOD is clearly boosting visibility — the movie did not vanish, it just needed a digital nudge.
Quick snapshot
- Title: 'Caught Stealing'
- Director: Darren Aronofsky
- Cast: Austin Butler, Matt Smith, Zoe Kravitz
- Release year: 2025
- Box office: $31 million worldwide ($19M domestic, $12M international)
- Budget: $40 million; rough breakeven target cited at around $100 million (via ScreenRant)
- Digital status: PVOD, not subscription streaming; currently charting on iTunes and in Prime Video's digital store in Australia (via FlixPatrol)
- Ratings: IMDb 7/10, Rotten Tomatoes 84%
- Studio: Sony Pictures
- Where to watch digitally: Apple TV and Prime Video storefronts
- Head-to-head: 'The Smashing Machine' totals $17 million to date, with a $5 million opening vs 'Caught Stealing' at $7 million (via Box Office Mojo)
Bottom line: 'Caught Stealing' did not catch fire in theaters, but it has enough juice on PVOD to make the whole story a lot more interesting — and yes, more interesting than watching The Rock take an unexpected L at the box office.