Thief
“Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000... tax free.”
Synopsis
Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official SizzleOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2025-08-18
Top Cast
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James Caan
Frank
Tuesday Weld
Jessie
Robert Prosky
Leo Alderman
Willie Nelson
David 'Okla' Bertinneau
Jim Belushi
Barry Stratagakis
Tom Signorelli
Vincent Attaglia
Dennis Farina
Carl
Nick Nickeas
Nick
W.R. Brown
Mitch Kanoff
Norm Tobin
Guido
John Santucci
Sgt. Urizzi
Gavin MacFadyen
Det. Boreksco
Chuck Adamson
Det. Ancell
Sam Cirone
Det. Martello
Spero Anast
Det. Bukowski
Walter Scott
Detective D. Simpson
Sam T. Louis
Large Detective in Suit
William LaValley
Joseph
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
March 27, 1981
Wide Cinema Exhibition
June 1, 2015
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$5.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$11.5M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
2.09x
+$6M net gain
Theatrical Status
Profitable
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Michael Mann
- Screenplay & Story
- Michael Mann
- Original Score
- Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, Johannes Schmölling, Klaus Krüger
- Original Title
- Thief
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 3m
- Production Budget
- $5.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $11.5M
- Production Studios
- Mann/Caan Productions, United Artists
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Michael Mann
Michael Mann, Frank Hohimer
Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, Johannes Schmölling, Klaus Krüger
Donald E. Thorin, Don Cahill
Dov Hoenig
Michael Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, Ronnie Caan
Department Leadership Roster
Michael Mann
Director
Michael Mann
Screenplay
Jerry Bruckheimer
Producer
Ronnie Caan
Producer
Donald E. Thorin
Director of Photography
Dov Hoenig
Editor
Mel Bourne
Production Design
Walter Scott
Stunt Coordinator
Edgar Froese
Original Music Composer
Christopher Franke
Original Music Composer
Johannes Schmölling
Original Music Composer
Klaus Krüger
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Thief.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Thief.
Movie Collection
American cinema | سینمای آمریکا
The best films up to 2025 | برترین آثار تا سال ۲۰۲۵
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Gangster
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Completed
collection
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Frequently Asked Questions About Thief
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Thief about?
Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.
Who directed Thief?
Thief was directed by Michael Mann.
Who stars in Thief?
The principal cast of Thief includes James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson, Jim Belushi.
When was Thief released and how long is it?
Thief was released in 1981 with a total runtime of 2h 3m.
What was the box office and production budget of Thief?
Thief had a reported production budget of $5.5M and grossed $11.5M at the worldwide box office (2.09 return on budget, classified as a commercial hit).
Who composed the musical score for Thief?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Thief was composed by Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke, Johannes Schmölling, Klaus Krüger.
Is Thief based on a book or true story?
Thief is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Frank Hohimer".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Thief?
Thief holds official age classifications: AU: R 18+; CA: 18A; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).