Hollywood loves a "moment." Right now, that moment belongs to two guys who look like they stepped out of different eras of a vintage denim ad. Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler are currently the industry's golden boys, and if you haven't heard they're finally making a movie together, you might be living under a very large, non-internet-connected rock.
It's called Enemies.
A24 is behind it. Henry Dunham is directing. It's a crime thriller set in Chicago. Basically, it’s exactly the kind of gritty, high-stakes project everyone wanted from them. But while the headlines are screaming about their "bromance," there is a lot more going on under the surface of this partnership than just two handsome guys sharing a screen.
The "Enemies" Reality: Detective vs. Killer
The premise of Enemies is simple on paper. One guy is a relentless detective. The other is a contract killer. They play a deadly game of cat and mouse. You've seen this movie before, right? Well, not with these two.
A24 reportedly dropped about $25 million on this—a pretty penny for a studio known for keeping budgets tight. Filming took place in Chicago over the summer of 2025. People were literally hearing gunshots in the Gold Coast and South Loop neighborhoods because the production was so intense.
Who plays who?
Honestly, this is where it gets interesting. While the studio has been tight-lipped about the specific roles, the "detective" and "killer" labels are being thrown around constantly. Jeremy Allen White is coming off the back of The Bear and his Bruce Springsteen biopic, Deliver Me From Nowhere. He’s got that frantic, nervous energy. Austin Butler has that cool, calculated, "Elvis-turned-assassin" vibe. It’s a match made in casting heaven.
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Why this duo actually matters for 2026
It’s easy to dismiss this as just "two hot actors in a room." It’s more than that. We are watching the transition of "prestige TV" stars into "true cinema" icons.
Jeremy Allen White spent years as Lip Gallagher on Shameless. He was the "it" guy for a specific type of gritty indie TV. Then The Bear happened, and suddenly he's winning every award in sight. Austin Butler, meanwhile, went through the Nickelodeon and Disney ringer before Elvis catapulted him into the stratosphere.
They represent the new guard.
The Process Connection
During the 2025 press circuit for Butler's film Caught Stealing, he actually opened up about White. He mentioned they’d talked on the phone for over an hour just discussing their "process."
"It's nice to have somebody who is a similar type of person," Butler told Mandatory.
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Regina King, who directed White on Shameless, described them as having a "very similar energy"—calming but incredibly present. It's rare to see two leading men who aren't trying to out-ego each other. Instead, they seem to be leaning into each other’s craft.
The Springsteen and Elvis Parallels
You can't talk about Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler without mentioning the "Musician Curse." Both have taken on the Herculean task of playing American musical gods.
- Austin Butler as Elvis Presley: He famously struggled to drop the voice. He gave years of his life to that role.
- Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen: In Deliver Me From Nowhere, White didn't just play the Boss; he recorded nine of his songs for the soundtrack.
Interestingly, White admitted he didn't reach out to Butler for advice before playing Springsteen. He told Variety he wanted to "lock himself in a room" and just focus on Bruce. But once they got to the set of Enemies, they finally bonded over the weird, isolating experience of inhabiting a legend.
What’s next for the duo?
If you're looking for a release date for Enemies, mark your calendars for late 2026. A24 has a fresh deal with HBO Max (now back to being called HBO Max as of 2025) which means the film will likely head there after a solid theatrical run.
But their individual slates are just as packed.
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- Jeremy Allen White is moving from the kitchen to the galaxy, voicing Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian & Grogu.
- Austin Butler is rumored for a Miami Vice reboot and is leading Luca Guadagnino’s American Psycho remake.
Practical Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you’re trying to keep up with the "Butler-White" wave, here is how you actually track this stuff without getting lost in the tabloid noise.
Follow the Production Houses
Instead of just following the actors, watch the production companies. Enemies is a Square Peg production (Ari Aster’s company). They tend to release limited-edition merch and "Zines" via the A24 shop. If you want the "behind the scenes" look that isn't just a paparazzi shot, that’s where you find it.
Check the Film Festival Circuits
Enemies is a prime candidate for a Venice or TIFF premiere in late 2026. If you’re a film buff, that’s when the first real reviews—the ones that actually talk about the acting and not just the haircuts—will drop.
Watch the "Source" Material
To understand the vibe of Enemies, go back and watch Henry Dunham’s previous work, specifically The Standoff at Sparrow Creek. It’s a masterclass in tension with a limited budget. It’ll give you a much better idea of what to expect than any 30-second teaser trailer will.
The era of the "Mega-Movie Star" might be dead, but the era of the "Precision Actor" is very much alive. Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler are leading that charge, one gritty A24 thriller at a time.
Stay updated on the official release windows by following the A24 newsletter or checking the Chicago Film Office's production updates for any late-stage reshoot news.