Nicholas Hoult And Deadpool 2 Director Team Up For A Slick Heist Comedy

So, if you missed CinemaCon, there was one trailer that probably got half the room grinning—Nicholas Hoult is back on the big screen, and this time, he’s the king of a pretty untraditional heist crew. Yeah, you read that right: Hoult, still riding the Lex Luthor buzz from Superman, is now the main guy in what looks like a wild, meta action-comedy about bank robbers who… livestream all their crimes?

What the Heck is 'How to Rob a Bank'?

First up, the basics: 'How to Rob a Bank' is directed by David Leitch (the guy behind 'Deadpool 2' and 'Bullet Train,' so expect big action and plenty of snark). Amazon MGM Studios trotted out the first teaser at CinemaCon, and it’s basically an intro to the world’s most social media-savvy criminals.

Hoult’s character heads up a gang who aren’t just robbing banks—they’re filming it all for YouTube, complete with animal masks (Hoult wears a wolf). It’s all about the style points: the more memorable the better. They’ve already knocked over 15 banks and built up a monster following—seriously, 31 million subscribers. I guess crime really does pay! (Well, online at least.)

Meet the Crew (and the Law)

• Nicholas Hoult as the wolf-masked ringleader
• Pete Davidson in classic Pete Davidson mode. He’s actually the voice of the operation’s 'morals,' and that’s as chaotic as it sounds. He lays out the group’s big rule: all the stolen money goes to 'a genuinely good cause'—and just to clear it up, he says OnlyFans 'is not a charity.'
• John C. Reilly as an FBI agent who’s getting sick of being outwitted on YouTube by these masked showboats. He’s obsessed with their rap sheet—currently at 61 felonies—and getting increasingly desperate to bring them down, especially with their crimes trending for millions.
• Zoë Kravitz, who teams up with Reilly. The pair seem to have their own axe to grind with Hoult’s crew, and they start predicting the robbers' next moves.
• Christian Slater, owner of one of the targeted banks, with a personal twist: turns out Hoult’s character is responsible for the death of his son. Just in case you didn’t think this silly heist had some darkness behind it.
• Anna Sawai and Rhenzy Feliz round out the cast, though their roles weren’t front and center in the preview.

The Gimmick and the Message

The movie isn’t just about thieves filming heists for content, though. Leitch basically pitched it at CinemaCon as a twist on the Robin Hood myth—these aren’t 'just criminals,' they’re everyday people who got pushed too far by a rigged system, and now they’re using social media to send their own message (and get their own revenge).

As Leitch put it (and yeah, it’s a little on the nose):
'Modern-day Robin Hoods, taking from the rich and giving to poor.'

In case you were wondering, yes—the FBI is well aware of their online fame and seems more exasperated than ever. The trailer has Reilly listing off their crimes and coverage, promising to put the full force of the government behind stopping a bunch of YouTubers in animal masks. There’s nothing subtle here, but that’s kind of the point.

What to Expect

If you like your heist movies with a heavy social satire bent (and a cast that’s clearly having a blast), keep your eyes on this one. There’s enough weird, fourth-wall-breaking stuff teased already that it might just have some surprises under the surface—plus, watching Pete Davidson play the moral compass of a crime crew? That alone sells a ticket for me.