Playing Santa, Arnold Schwarzenegger looks for his magic bag outside Veselka

Crews were set up today outside Veselka on Second Avenue and Ninth Street, filming scenes for Amazon MGM's holiday movie, "The Man With the Bag." 

An EVG reader shared these photos...

... including a quick shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger in costume as — Santa Claus...

The plot for the action comedy, per IMDB: "When Santa's magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance, a former thief, to help him get it back." 

Production trucks were also set up along Tompkins Square Park today. 

Veselka, whose location credits include "Ocean's 8," will be closed today. 

 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger filming Amazon MGM's holiday movie 'The Man With the Bag' in the East Village

Arnold Schwarzenegger filming Amazon MGM's holiday movie 'The Man With the Bag' in the East Village tomorrow

Photos by Steven 

Crews for Amazon MGM's holiday movie, "The Man With the Bag," will film in parts of the East Village tomorrow.

We've spotted filming notices along Avenue A from Seventh Street to 10th Street... and St. Mark's Place, Ninth Street, and 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

The plot for the action comedy, per IMDB: "When Santa's magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance, a former thief, to help him get it back." 

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Santa and "Reacher"'s Alan Ritchson is Vance. (The production has been filming around NYC in recent weeks.) 

And thinking about other large-scale shoots in the neighborhood in the last 30+ years... Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson filming on Avenue A and Tompkins Square Park for 1995's "Die Hard With a Vengeance."

   

Also, Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino at Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street for 1997's "The Devil's Advocate" ... and Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman on 10th Street/Stuyvesant Street for 2005's "The Interpreter." What else?

'Caught' taking photos of Austin Butler's stand-in

Photos by Stacie Joy 

On Tuesday, crews for the Darren Aronofsky-helmed crime thriller "Caught Stealing" (aka "Chelsea Honeymoon") returned to the neighborhood to film at several locations, including at Quick Coin laundromat on Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Here is lead actor Austin Butler in character on Oct. 2 on Sixth Street and Avenue A...

He was in the same outfit for the scenes this past week While Butler distracted the assembled paparazzi, we could focus more on his stand-in/lighting double, who was rockin' a similar slouchy yet dreamy orange-and-olive ensemble.

We spotted AB a little later entering the set...

Charlie Huston adapted the screenplay from his 2004 book "Caught Stealing." The story finds Hank Thompson (Butler), a former baseball prodigy, now a binge-drinking bartender, being chased by a criminal element in the East Village of 2000. 

The cast includes Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Griffin Dunne, Vincent D’Onofrio and Action Bronson.

Another chance to catch 'Caught Stealing' filming around the East Village

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Crews for the Darren Aronofsky-helmed crime thriller "Caught Stealing" (aka "Chelsea Honeymoon") will return to the neighborhood this week. 

We've seen fliers covering a pretty wide swath, from Cooper Square to Avenue B, for the filming taking place on Tuesday. So expect to see more late 1990s set dressing ... one confirmed location is the Quick Coin laundromat on Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.

The laundromat will be closed for set dressing during the day tomorrow (open again after 5 p.m.) ... closed Tuesday... reopening Wednesday after 4 p.m.

Several weeks ago, workers were seen dating the laundromat to fit the late 1990s. However, there must have been a change in the production schedule, as the filming didn't take place.

Everything with the yellow caution tape was for the shoot. 

Charlie Huston adapted the screenplay from his 2004 book "Caught Stealing." The story finds Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a former baseball prodigy, now a binge-drinking bartender, being chased by a criminal element in the late-1990s East Village. 

The cast includes Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Griffin Dunne, Vincent D’Onofrio and Action Bronson.

Previously.

Prop or not?: Looking at Avenue A during the 'Caught Stealing' shoot

Crews yesterday continued to undress parts of Avenue A after standing in for a late-1990s version of itself for the Darren Aronofsky-helmed crime thriller "Caught Stealing."

The Benny's Burritos signage was removed from its one-time home (RIP 2014) on the SW corner of Sixth Street and Avenue A, a main hub during the several evenings of filming.

At times, it was hard to distinguish between the props for the shoot and the everyday randomness you'd expect to find along Avenue A.

Here's a quick guide to help determine what was a prop or not.

Bikes in a bunch: PROP

Michigan football flag outside Offside on the NE corner of A and Sixth: NOT a prop

Burgeoning sewer collapse on A and Sixth: NOT a prop

Pigeons devouring the 50 pounds of bread someone dumps in the once-mucky tree pit: NOT a prop, obviously

Obey Giant wheat pastes on the side of Amor Y Amargo: PROPS

Canopy left atop the M14 stop between Fifth Street and Sixth Street: NOT a prop

A sketchy-looking casting notice for a Young Zendaya: NOT a prop (and actually legit) 

Stop Warehousing Apartments Flyers: PROPS

Stack of school desks of the SE corner of A and Sixth: PROPS (sadly)

Phone booth: PROP

Bikes locked up outside the Cherry Tavern: NOT SURE!

Unhoused encampment on Sixth near A: PROP

Building-wide tags on the NW corner of Avenue A and Second Street: NOT props

REVS COST tags on Sixth Street plus other tags: PROPS

Jesus Loves You ("Think About That") flyer: NOT a prop

Rather hunky-looking guy dressed as if he could either be the building's porter or a serial entrepreneur who incubates and invests in breakthrough fintech companies: Guy, NOT a prop (though an actor); Car, PROP

Sidewalk message: NOT a prop 

The Hairy Balls signage outside Key Food: NOT a prop

We haven't heard anything official... but we're guessing that we haven't seen the last of the "Caught Stealing" shoot. We've heard rumors (and seen evidence of) a Pyramid Club and Mars Bar redux.

As we've been reporting, "Caught Stealing," based on Charlie Huston's novel of the same name, features a cast that includes Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Griffin Dunne, Vincent D’Onofrio and Action Bronson.

Paul's Bar no more for the movies, Double Down Saloon returns to service

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Top photo and text by EVG

After serving as a set for the Darren Aronofsky-helmed 1990s-based crime thriller "Caught Stealing" in recent weeks, the Double Down Saloon reopened on Oct. 2 here at 14 Avenue A between Houston and Second Street.

During the week of Sept. 9, we noticed a Pauls Bar marquee behind a temp-looking Double Down Saloon banner.

We thought someone uncovered ghost signage. (We recalled previous tenants like Julep and Mekka.) 

Then, an EVG reader told us this was for a set, and Zendaya would be filming here. Made some sense, as Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus shot a music video here in October 2020. 

EVG's Stacie Joy stopped by the (suspiciously clean) bar on Sept. 14 and was told the DD would be closing for a few weeks for renovations and a refresh. A staffer told us, "We'll be back and better than ever," saying not to expect "big changes; most of the work will be in the basement and with the taps." And fear not, as the adult films would be back on the TVs, and the DD's infamous Ass Juice would still flow from wherever it flows from. Multiple DD staff at the time said they knew nothing about filming. 

Later, after the film notices arrived up and down Avenue A, DD management confirmed the movie part but wouldn't disclose any details. (We heard that locations had to sign a strict NDA. And DD didn't tell us that as it would break said NDA.) 

Anyway, these are photos from Sept. 14... the day before the bar temporarily closed on Sept. 15 so crews could set up for the interior filming ...

Here's how the place looked during late-night filming on Sept. 20...

Based on Charlie Huston's novel of the same name, "Caught Stealing" stars Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Will Brill, Bad Bunny, Griffin Dunne, Vincent D’Onofrio and Action Bronson. 

This outpost of the 24/7 Las Vegas fixture opened in 2006.