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In this follow-up to 2018’s Den of Thieves, Detective Nick O’Brien is back — and this time, he’s out to put the kibosh on dangerous diamond robbers in Europe. But will he be able to stop career criminal Donnie Wilson once and for all? Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, directed by Christian Gudegast, was co-written by Gudegast and Paul T. Scheuring (Prison Break). The film stars Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Evin Ahmad.

Stream it now.

After finalizing his divorce, down-and-out Los Angeles detective Nick (Butler) finds out that the Panther mafia may be behind a massive jewel heist in Antwerp. The robbers snatched a red diamond from an airplane hangar while dressed as tactical police. As the Panther mafia — which now includes criminal mastermind Donnie (Jackson Jr.) — plans their next big heist in France, Nick heads overseas to infiltrate the crew.

The film is set around...

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Netflix is ready with an entertainment-packed March next month. The upcoming month will see the release of some brilliant Netflix original shows and movies, including The Residence and The Life List. Just like every month, Netflix is ready to overload you with great content. So, we’re here to tell you about the best 10 new movies and TV shows coming to Netflix in March 2025.

Plankton The Movie (March 7) Credit – Netflix

Plankton The Movie is an upcoming animated musical comedy film directed by Dave Needham from a screenplay co-written by Kaz, Chris Viscardi, and Mr. Lawrence. Based on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg, the Netflix film follows Plankton, whose plans for world domination take a back seat when his robot wife decides to take charge of their lives. Plankton The Movie’s voice cast includes Mr.

The X-Fileswriter and executive producer Frank Spotnitz will return to the sci-fi genre with a new Swedish series titled We Come in Peace. Spotnitz will serve as writing supervisor and executive producer.

Variety reports that Sponitz and his London-based Big Light Productions have joined the Swedish show. It will be a six-part sci-fi television series, with production recently wrapping in Sweden. Production company Newen Connect will unveil clips and creative materials to global buyers in London on Feb. 25, with Spotnitz and Swedish producer Piodor Gustafsson expected to attend the event. We Come in Peace marks Spotnitz's first involvement in a non-English-language project as well as his first sci-fi project since The X-Files, which earned him three Golden Globes and an Emmy nod.

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One of the best movies in action movie favorite Gerard Butler’s repertoire is heading to free streaming. Released back in 2018, the heist action thriller Den of Thieves finds Butler leading as the hard-drinking, hard-fighting leader of the Regulators, an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. And he’s about to butt heads with Halo star Pablo Schreiber's Ray Merrimen, the leader of an equally elite gang of thieves. Cue the gruff masculinity and explosions.

While Den of Thieves has grown in popularity over the years, the movie was panned upon release, landing a score of just 41% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The reaction to the action outing proved divisive, with audiences awarding the movie a more promising 63% on the Popcornmeter. Regardless, Den of Thieves boasts one of Gerard Butler’s most magnetic performances, and is due to hit free streaming platform Tubi on March 1, 2025. You...

“The X-Files” executive producer and writer Frank Spotnitz and his London-based Big Light Productions have boarded event Swedish sci-fi “We Come in Peace” as a co-producer, Variety has learned in exclusivity on the eve of London TV Screenings. Spotnitz serves as writing supervisor as well as executive producer, alongside Big Light’s Adrian Banyard.

The six-part TV show which just wrapped production in Sweden is repped internationally by Newen Connect, which will unveil clips and creative materials to global buyers at a presentation in London Feb. 25, to be attended by Spotnitz and the main Swedish producer Piodor Gustafsson of Black Spark Film & TV. The Swedish and US executives go way back. As former drama buyer and commissioner for Swedish pubcaster Svt, Gustafsson acquired in 2012 the BBC series “Hunted” created and penned by Spotnitz, and the latter has taught for the last 12 years at the Berlin-based screenwriting training course Serial...

This year’s long-awaited action thriller sequel, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, just got a surprising Netflix release date. The follow-up sees genre favorite Gerard Butler return as Nicholas "Big Nick" O'Brien, who switches sides for a big payday and joins O'Shea Jackson Jr.’s conman Donnie Wilson on a major heist. Fans had to wait seven years for the Den of Thieves sequel, but they won’t be waiting anywhere near as long to watch the movie at home.

Having only hit theaters in January, it has now been revealed (via What’s on Netflix) that Den of Thieves 2: Pantera will land on Netflix in the United States next month on March 20, 2025. Written and directed by Christian Gudegast, and led by Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr., the rest of the cast includes UFC fighter Michael Bisping, Salvatore Esposito (Fargo), Orli Shuka, Evin Ahmad, Cristian Solimeno (The English...

Picture: Lionsgate

Well that’s a surprise, and quick! After premiering in theaters at the start of the year, the second Den of Thieves movie will make its way onto Netflix in the United States on March 20th, 2025.

The sequel to the 2018 original, which hit theaters on January 10, features the return of Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Big Nick and Donnie Wilson. Christian Gudegast, who wrote and directed the first film, returns to helm the sequel. This time, Big Nick heads to Europe, closing in on Donnie, who is now entangled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia. The two ultimately become involved in a heist targeting the world’s largest diamond exchange.

Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Meadow Williams, and Swen Temmel round out the cast of the action blockbuster that received mixed to positive reviews from critics upon its release.

Lionsgate gave the highly-anticipated action thriller Den of Thieves 2: Pantera a theatrical release last month, and now the film is available on Premium Video on Demand and Premium Electronic Sell-Through. (You can rent or buy it Here.) To celebrate the PVOD release, we’ve gotten our hands on an Exclusive deleted scene from the film, and you can check it out in the embed above!

This sequel involves a balls-to-the-wall diamond heist in Europe, with ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien (Gerard Butler) and Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) burying the hatchet for a bullet-chewing-caper that could set them up for life. Here’s the official synopsis: In Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Big Nick is back on the hunt on the mean streets of Europe, closing in on Donnie, who is embroiled in the dangerous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist...

‘You know there’s got to be something better,” sang the iconic Marianne Faithfull. Similarly Göteborg market’s head of TV Drama Vision Cia Edström and Josef Kullengård, head of industry and Nordic Film Market, were determined to bring “good energy and hope” to their 2,000-plus guests – and not only as DJs of the closing Nordic Film Market gig.

Below are takeaways from the 2025 Nordic Film Market and TV Drama Vision, that took place under the motto “Collaborate, Create and Captivate.”

Farewell – Until Next Year

A new record attendance was set this year, according to preliminary figures released by Kullengård. A total 2,368 on-site delegates from 54 countries were accredited, including 780 for TV Drama Vision and 586 for the Nordic Film Market.

In terms of projects, Nordic Film Market showcased 68 feature-length projects and TV Drama Vision 61 series at various stages of production.

Edström said she is very happy with the numbers for the...

A third ‘Den of Thieves’ movie is in the works.The Lionsgate action franchise - which debuted in 2018 and stars Gerard Butler as LA County deputy Nicholas ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien - recently received its latest entry in ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’ and it has now been confirmed that a third flick is in the pipeline.The 55-year-old actor is expected to reprise his role and produce the movie under his G-Base banner - which he runs with Alan Siegel - alongside Tucker Tooley Entertainment after the studio financed and produced the first film.As well as Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr. - who plays heist master Donnie Wilson in the series - is also expected to return for the third ‘Den of Thieves’ picture.While no release date for the next flick has been announced, director Christian Gudegast recently revealed there wouldn’t be much of a wait, as...

Exciting news has been revealed for fans of the Den of Thieves movies. After the recent success of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, the movie series will now become a trilogy.

Per Variety, Den of Thieves 3 is now in development with Lionsgate, Tucker Tooley Entertainment, and G-base. Gerard Butler is set to return to star after appearing in the first two films, and it's "expected" that O'Shea Jackson Jr. will also be back on board as the actor's co-star. Lionsgate is now in talks with franchise writer-director Christian Gudegast to write and direct the third film, and Butler is producing under his G-base banner alongside Alan Siegel. Tucker Tooley is also producing via his Tucker Tooley Entertainment.

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The...

Den Of Thieves 2 Worldwide Box Office: 2nd Thursday Update ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is currently the highest-grossing film of 2025. The film features Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson in the lead roles, reprising their characters from the previous film. The movie has crossed a significant milestone at the worldwide box office and is around $4 million away from recovering its reported budget. Keep scrolling for the deets.

For the uninitiated, it is the sequel to the 2018 heist film Den of Thieves, both of which were directed by Christian Gudegast. The sequel is inspired by the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist, which featured Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Meadow Williams, Swen Temmel, and Michael Bisping in supporting roles.

Den of Thieves 2 has a decent score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics gave it 60%, and the collective consensus states, “Pantera trades the original Den of Thieves’ self-seriousness for a more winking lightheartedness that...

The eagerly anticipated TV Drama Vision showcase in Göteborg has unveiled its 2025 program, where 50+ series from some of the best Nordic and European creatives will be showcased over Jan. 28-29, next to a full program of inspiring talks.

“Our curated program is a true team effort. We’ve worked hard and enjoyed every bit of it and I hope our 700+ industry delegates from 30 countries will enjoy it,” said Cia Edström, founder and head of Scandinavia’s biggest drama market.

Shortlisted by TV Drama Vision’s strong selection committee, a record high number of series in development from 14 countries were selected, and the nine series in the works in progress were picked “from the most relevant and captivating stories coming up,” said Edström.

Host country Sweden is out in force, with four projects in post-production, backed by top-tier platforms and broadcasters and stellar talents on both sides of the camera.

In...

The 300 cast might not have dined in Hell, but Gerard Butler saw quite a few battle scars during production.

Speaking to People with O'Shea Jackson Jr. to promote their latest film Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Butler looked back on several movies he starred in and the number of injuries he sustained across all of them. In 300's case, the actor said, "I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital. You'd be doing a fight, you turn around, there's a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there's a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle."

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Additionally, Butler referenced a car injury...

Warning: Major Spoilers ahead for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera!Den of Thieves 2: Pantera creator Christian Gudegast has confirmed plans for multiple sequels in the Gerard Butler franchise, teasing the franchise's future movies. Despite Den of Thieves 2's lukewarm reviews, the movie managed to rake in $20.5 million against a $40 million budget in its opening weekend, opening at Number 1 domestically. The film continues the story of Sheriff Nick O'Brien (Butler), this time joining Donnie Wilson (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) on a massive diamond heist. While its story continues where the first left off, it also hints at a potential future continuation.

Speaking with Collider, Gudegast confirmed plans for three more movies after Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, dependent on how well the new movie performs at the box office. The director and writer explained a script for Den of Thieves 3 has already been written, while the fourth and fifth installments have been planned out.

Warning: Spoilers for Den of Thieves.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera hit theaters recently and the film serves as a direct follow-up to the original 2018 heist thriller. Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr. reprise their roles as Nick O'Brien and Donnie Wilson, the cop and criminal duo who can’t seem to rid themselves of each other. The first film follows Donnie and the crew he was brought into as their getaway driver. With ingenious plans to rob the Federal Reserve without anyone ever knowing, it turns out that Donnie was the one in control the entire time. After working as a local bartender near his intended target, he vanishes to Europe following the heist with everyone being none the wiser, except for Nick, of course. However, he doesn’t realize the grand scheme of it all until Donnie is long gone.

The second film picks up shortly after the first one ended.

Lionsgate is coming out swinging at the box office with the company's latest action film breaking a 2-year-old curse. The new sequel Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, featuring a returning Gerard Butler, has debuted strong with its theatrical premiere.

Per Deadline, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has outperformed its expectations by earning $15.5 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office. This win puts the Den of Thieves sequel as the No. 1 movie, and for Lionsgate, the feat is significant. Seemingly breaking a curse, this marks the company's first film since 2023's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes to debut at No. 1. It's also Butler's first No. 1 opening since 2019's Angel Has Fallen, which debuted with $21.3 million.

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Disney's Mufasa landed in the No.

Christian Gudegast followed his directorial debut action hit Den of Thieves with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which featured a high-stakes diamond heist that was based heavily on one of the biggest real-world heists ever accomplished. Starring Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson, Jr. reprising their roles from the original Den of Thieves, the sequel sees the cop and criminal team up to take down one of the most secure facilities in the world, the World Diamond Center. In the process, they run afoul of both the Mafia and the Pantera Task Force, both of whom are hot on their heels.

The original Den of Thieves chronicled the cat-and-mouse game between Butler's alcoholic Lasd officer Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien going toe-to-toe with Pablo Schreiber's former Marsoc leader Ray Merrimen, only to reveal that O'Shea Jackson, Jr.'s Donnie Wilson was the mastermind behind the robbery of the LA Federal Reserve.

As Den of Thieves 2: Pantera blasts its way into theaters on January 10, 2025, fans of the original may be surprised to see Big Nick O'Brien (Gerard Butler) defect to the other side. Then again, given how much the maverick leader of The Regulators bent the law and played by his own rules in the first film, perhaps his criminal turn isn't so shocking.

After all, Den of Thieves is most compelling when it parallels the criminal Outlaws, a gang of bank robbers, with the LAPD Regulators tasked with catching them, crystallizing the thin line between the heroes and villains. While it always seemed Nick was one step away from crossing the line, Butler has explained why the morally vexed detective lost his way and felt compelled to abandon the Regulators and join the Outlaws for a risky European diamond heist.

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Gerard Butleris no stranger to action movies. Though his first movie was a period piece, playing Archie Brown in Mrs. Brown (1997), his career has often included high-octane genre movies. After performing in Mrs. Brown, he went on to play a supporting role in the Pierce Brosnan Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, making his first foray into the action genre. Butler then revisited genre movies the next year with his adventure fantasy Tale of the Mummy, which was released in 1998. He would return to them time again throughout his career.

Fast-forward over 20 years, and Butler is still regularly involved in action movies. These range from disaster movies, including Geostorm (2017) and Greenland (2020), to the action thrillers Kandahar (2023) and Last Seen Alive (2022). Though he has been in many one-off movies, Butler has also made his way into franchises. This includes the DreamWorks animated franchise How to Train Your Dragon and the Has Fallen series.

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera!Gerard Butler's "Big Nick" O'Brien returns with a twist in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and his plan with Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) is filled with surprising developments until the film's conclusion. Years after Den of Thieves' ending, Nick's life is not in the best spot when the sequel begins. He's been officially divorced and is struggling professionally, as he can't let go of the fact that Donnie outsmarted him and the entire federal community. That makes finding Donnie and finally arresting him Nick's primary mission from the time that Den of Thieves 2 begins.

The set up for another cat-and-mouse style game between Nick and Donnie is subverted throughout Den of Thieves 2, as the characters go from enemies to partners with what seems to be a blossoming friendship. However, considering the Donnie-related reveals that changed the...

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. are back in “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” for more white-knuckled heist action.

The sequel puts Big Nick back on the path of Donnie, who has managed to get embroiled in the world of international diamond theft. The two will need to team up to target the biggest diamond exchange in the world this time around while contending with the Panther mafia.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new movie, how to watch “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” right now and where to expect it on streaming.

When does “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” come out?

“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” opened in theaters on Friday, Jan. 10.

Is “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” streaming or in theaters?

Right now “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” is only available in theaters. Eventually it will land on a streaming platform and when that happens...

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera finally hit cinemas this weekend, but star O'Shea Jackson Jr. is already looking to the next sequel in the franchise. While it has taken seven years to see Jackson Jr. team up with Gerard Butler again, the latter has already hinted that a third movie will not take that long to make. With that in mind, Jackson Jr. recently told Variety about where he sees his character going in the next movie.

“I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: I’m trying to Vin Diesel this thing. To quote Ryan Reynolds, I want to work with Gerard until he’s 90. I just have so much fun doing these and Christian, Gerard, [producer] Tucker Tooley…I can’t express to them enough how I really feel because that’s just not what guys do, but I’ll tell you. When I was early in my career, after “Straight Outta Compton,...

One of the biggest sins in the first Den of Thieves was the sprawling 140-minute length that tried to emulate Michael Mann’s seminal Heat-style epic storytelling, only to come up short. It’s not like Christian Gudegast’s 2018 debut feature lacked ambition since he did show terrific range in handling muscular action set pieces, notably the opening and climactic shootouts that gave the technical prowess of Heat a run of its money.

The first movie, of course, ended with an unexpected cliffhanger after Gudegast pulled The Usual Suspect-like surprise twist, leading to the long-delayed sequel Den of Thieves 2: Pantera a longer-than-expected seven years later. There were multiple setbacks from the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic that halted many productions at the time, to the lead actor, Gerald Butler suffering from a torn Acl, and not to mention, a logistics issue.

Now that it’s finally here, is it worth the wait?...

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera stars Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr. share their views on the ending of the heist movie. Released January 10, 2025, the movie, which follows sheriff "Big Nick" O'Brien tracking criminal Donnie Wilson, who has fled to Europe, is the sequel to the popular 2018 action crime movie, directed and written by Christopher Gudegast. Den of Thieves 2 boasts a strong ensemble cast, including Butler and Jackson Jr., reprising their roles of O'Brien and Wilson respectively, as well as Evin Ahmad, and Salvatore Esposito.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Butler and O'Shea discuss the ending of the movie, which saw Big Nick and Donnie cross paths again, and evolve from enemies to developing a form of respect for one another. Butler notes how the ending was the one he had pushed for, and spoke about how the characters make the decision to go their separate ways.

There’s an entire subgenre of modern crime movies you might call “Heat Rashes” — those heist thrillers that worship at the altar of Michael Mann’s 1995 stone-cold classic. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the best and most admiring of these Mann-handlers is, by a huge margin, 2018’s Den of Thieves. In the De Niro corner, you’ve got Pablo Schreiber as the leader of a bank-robbery crew who’s dreaming the impossible dream: ripping off the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles. Taking on the Pacino role, Gerard Butler...

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. are back in “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” four years after their first action-packed heist thriller became a hit.

The Lionsgate movie has made $1.35 million in Thursday previews so far at the box office. It’s projected to make $11 million to $13 million in its opening weekend and will battle Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” for the box office crown.

Disney’s photorealistic “Lion King” prequel opened back on Dec. 20 and is on track for $12 million to $15 million in its fourth weekend. It kicked off the new year with $23.4 million last weekend, but it’ll go to second place under “Den of Thieves 2” if it loses some staying power.

The original “Den of Thieves” made $950,000 in Thursday previews when it debuted in January 2018. It launched with $15.2 million in its opening weekend and ended its run with $80 million. The sequel cost $40 million, byt Lionsgate...

Major spoilers for "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" follow.

When "Den of Thieves" arrived in 2018, many described it as a kind of low-rent, dirtbag version of Michael Mann's "Heat." I, too, have said more or less the same thing about the film — but I say so lovingly. I'm a big fan of "Den of Thieves," a movie about big men firing big guns and featuring Gerard Butler as Big Nick O'Brien, a cop who always seems to be hungover no matter what time of day it is. Director Christian Gudegast's film was frequently derivative, and yet, it was also a total blast. I was excited when a sequel was announced all the way back in 2018, and now that the sequel, "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera," is here, I'm just as excited for what comes next.

While a third film hasn't been officially announced yet, "Den of Thieves 2...

Gerard Butler continues to fly the flag for high-octane action movies, but is his latest thriller sequel, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, a worthy addition to the genre? The follow-up, which sees Butler’s Detective Nicholas "Big Nick" O'Brien break bad and join forces with the villain from the 2018's Den of Thieves, O'Shea Jackson Jr.’s conman and thief Donnie Wilson, for a diamond heist in Europe. The reviews for the action sequel are now in, with Den of Thieves 2: Pantera debuting with a score of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, for now, at least, the sequel has far surprassed its 41% predecessor. Let’s see what the critics think...

We begin with MovieWeb’s own Greg Archer, who heaped praise on the return of Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr., but felt that, ultimately, the movie tries too hard to be “a classic heist film.”

"Having Butler and...

Gerard Butler assures audiences that Den of Thieves 3 will be coming faster than Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Den of Thieves introduced audiences to a skilled sect of the LA County Sheriff's department as they squared up against a formidable group: the state's most successful bank robbery group. Now, the just-released Den of Thieves 2: Pantera continues that story, once again featuring Gerard Butler's lead role as Big Nick as he is now searching for diamond thieves in Europe. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera features a leading cast including Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Evin Ahmad, and Salvatore Esposito.

In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Butler hints at the timeline for Den of Thieves 3. In the interview, Butler and co-star Jackson Jr. were reminded of the long gap between Den of Thieves and its sequel. Butler then assured ScreenRant that it is "not going to take that long" for the third movie,...

The cop goes gangster in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. And if anybody can pull that off with grit and believability in equal measure, it’s Gerard Butler. The Plane and How to Train Your Dragon star reprises his role as Detective 'Big Nick' O’Brien from 2018’s Den of Thieves and brings along O’Shea Jackson Jr. again as the clever heist man, Donnie.

If the first film was an intricately produced cat-and-mouse heist in which a steely detective (Butler) desperately tries to catch a viable foe (Jackson), the second film is director/writer Christian Gudegast's attempt to shake the creative snow globe. He brings Big Nick to the inside of an elaborate European diamond heist and forces him to work with an unlikely partner: Donnie, the man he’s been after all along. That’s a groovy flip, sure, making Den of Thieves 2 2025’s first subversive buddy movie.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Meadow Williams, Jordan Bridges, and Evin Ahmad

Director: Christian Gudegast

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera Movie Review Out (Photo Credit – Instagram)

What’s Good: Butler and Jackson have fantastic chemistry, making their characters worth following even under the overlong runtime.

What’s Bad: The film is just too long, and the pacing can feel glacial. This makes the movie feel boring when it doesn’t have to.

Loo Break: The first act is definitely too uneventful, so you can go to the loo and come back in time for when the planning and the execution happen.

Watch or Not?: If you were a fan of the first one, then yes, go watch it. If you only want a good time at the movies and Gerard Butler is someone you like to watch,...

Christian Gudegast's "Den of Thieves" shouldn't have worked. At a glance, the film appeared to be little more than a knock-off of Michael Mann's "Heat" and countless other cops-and-robbers thrillers. Indeed, the film is frequently derivative — not only does it owe a huge debt to "Heat," but it even throws in a last-minute twist shamelessly "borrowed" from "The Usual Suspects." And yet ... "Den of Thieves" inexplicably ruled. While no one could accuse the flick of being original, the end result was wildly entertaining and enjoyable, and I don't mean in a cynical "so bad it's good" sort of way. Violent, engaging, funny, and unapologetically brash, "Den of Thieves" is down and dirty stuff — a scuzzy, dirtbag action flick about angry men shooting loud guns. It's not high art, it's high trash, and I love it with all my heart.

It's hard to hate a film that introduces its hero,...

I remember when heist movies had memorable characters and scenarios. Den of Thieves certainly didn’t and its only slightly better follow-up, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, tries at the very least, though its efforts ultimately fall flat. The film has less action, which isn’t a bad thing since it builds up suspense for the actual heist and its aftermath, and more talking. Whereas the first film was more gritty and violent, the sequel is more polished and developed. But it’s also the same amount of underwhelming, failing to fully launch despite an intriguing setup.

Sheriff "Big Nick" O'Brien tracks Donnie Wilson to Europe after his daring escape. As Donnie becomes deeply involved with diamond thieves and the Panther mafia, the stakes rise with a plan to rob the world's largest diamond exchange. The film promises intense action and suspense across international borders.

Release Date January 10, 2025Genres Thriller,...

As a movie star, Gerard Butler owns January the way Will Smith once owned Memorial Day and the “Meg” films own August. That Butler’s B-movie thrillers now hold sway over the frozen, box-office-lite oblivion of the early weeks of the year may seem a Pyrrhic victory, but at least he’s the king of something. And Butler’s brusque, beady-eyed, scowling-hulk charisma has aged well. A quick-fire actor in a caveman’s body, he has the ability to lift a piece of pulp so it almost seems like a real movie.

For much of its two-hour-and-24-minute running time, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” the sequel to Butler‘s cops-vs.-crooks heist thriller from 2018, does a satisfying impersonation of a high-end crime film. If you want to know what makes Butler a commanding genre bruiser, look no further than the way he smokes on camera, dragging on a cigarette...

The first Den of Thieves wore its influences on its sleeve—from Michael Mann’s Heat to Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario—but what set it apart was its gleefully messy, unapologetically scummy energy. Christian Gudegast’s film brimmed with grimy pleasures: Gerard Butler’s unhinged bluster as Nicholas O’Brien, Pablo Schreiber’s apathetic demeanor as Ray Merrimen, and choice exchanges like Butler’s deranged delivery of “I’d fuck you” to O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie Wilson, capped with a manic “kidding!” It espoused equal parts swaggering (and perhaps slightly self-aware) machismo and a cutthroat “every man for himself” worldview.

Gudegast’s Den of Thieves 2: Pantera never quite reaches the same level of compelling head-assery as the first film. Of course, there was so much melodramatic dick-swinging in Den of Thieves that the big climactic heist ended up feeling like an afterthought. The film wasn’t without its lackadaisical stretches,...

In 2018, Den Of Thieves delivered the goods and was a ballsy attempt to rob the unrobbable Los Angeles Federal Reserve. It did modest but respectable business globally considering its limited ambitions, and that apparently was just enough to justify a sequel. In Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera, Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and company head to Europe for another brazen robbery, this time at the top-security World Diamond Center in Nice, where the cop and the crook join forces to penetrate a thief-proof vault full of valuable deposit boxes with millions of dollars of jewels including an uber-desirable pink diamond stolen from the Mafia who wants it back. It’s complicated.

Ditching the L.A. locations of the first (actually doubled by Atlanta), this turns into a lush European and more...

Imagine the iconic diner sit-down scene between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Michael Mann’s Heat stretched out to feature length and you’ll get some idea of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.

Admittedly, there’s a terrific action sequence in director-screenwriter Christian Gudegast’s follow-up to his overlong 2018 heist thriller. Unfortunately, the superbly orchestrated car chase/shootout, taking place both in a tunnel and on winding mountain roads, occurs nearly two hours into this equally bloated sequel’s 144-minute running time. Until then, you spend a lot of time watching the characters luxuriate in the European settings via consuming copious amounts of croissants, gelato and tiny cups of coffee.

Indeed, watching Gerard Butler, reprising his role of tough cop “Big Nick” O’Brien, struggle to learn the proper pronunciation of the word “croissant” is one of the more interesting elements of this formulaic if slickly filmed movie...

When we last saw “Big Nick” O’Brien (Gerard Butler) in 2018’s Den Of Thieves, he was in the throes of defeat. Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) had outflanked him and robbed the Federal Reserve, so that the books wouldn’t even notice the missing millions. As far as the federal government was concerned,...

Gerard Butler didn’t have the best time filming Den of Thieves 2: Pantera as he shot the movie “with a freshly torn Acl.”

In a new interview, the actor revealed that he filmed the action-intense movie while injured.

“This was a weird time for me at the beginning of this movie because I’d been through a pretty intense surgery, and then I tore my Acl fully about a month later and then started this movie,” Butler told Entertainment Weekly.

He continued, “So I was not in the best shape, and it was a pretty physical movie, and I didn’t have a chance to get the surgery on my Acl, so I made this movie with a freshly torn Acl, and it was pretty rough. But yeah… I wanted to put a ‘but’ in to make it sound positive, but it wasn’t positive; it was a nightmare...

Even without speaking to him, it's clear from his vibrant performance that Detective “Big Nick” O’Brien from the Den of Thieves movies has become one of Gerard Butler’s favorite roles. Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. return as Detective “Big Nick” O’Brien and master thief Donnie Wilson, respectively, in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, the sequel to their 2018 action-heist hit. The movie delivers its fair share of big twists as director/writer Christian Gudegast expands the franchise’s world and its creative scope.

In a recent interview with MovieWeb, Butler said playing Big Nick stands out among his long list of characters in films like How to Train Your Dragon, Plane, Angel Has Fallen, and others, although he has one favorite character that can't be surpassed:

You know, you can't get [better] than Leonidas [from 2007’s 300]. Something like that is obviously incredible.

Butler then went straight into praising Big Nick as...

New Releases This Weekend ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

This week, theatres are buzzing with releases from all directions. We’ve selected six films for you, including one that premiered in the U.S. last year and is now making its way to India, while the others are brand-new. On the Ott front, Netflix continues to lead with four exciting titles, along with offerings from Disney+ Hotstar, Prime Video, SonyLIV, and Zee5.

Why waste time on this introduction? Scroll down to explore the details of these titles, pick one to watch, then another, and keep going until you’ve completed the entire list this week if you’re up for the challenge.

Netflix

Black Warrant (Hindi)

Release Date: January 10, 2025

Creators Vikramaditya Motwane and Satyanshu Singh bring a crime-prison drama featuring Zahan Kapoor, Rahul Bhat, Paramvir Cheema, and Anurag Thakur. The story revolves around a new officer navigating the complexities of Delhi’s Tihar Jail.

Just ten days into the new year and it appears that the studios are trying to create a new action thriller franchise. Technically it really began in 2018 with a flick that attempted to combine a heist caper plot with a police procedural led by a detective that’s not exactly squeaky clean. It did modest business (some might say barely a box office “ripple”), so this sequel is more than unexpected (“outta’ nowhere” is more like it). But since the big Summer blockbuster season feels light years away, especially with the weather’s artic plunge, those fans of tough guys with big guns driving fast cars need an adrenaline “fix”. And if they “check their brains” at the concession counter, then they may get the needed “rush” from Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera.

Whoa, in the opening moments, we’re thrust right into a big “heist” involving computer hacking, a phony flight attendant,...

Enter this contest by following the link at the bottom of this page for your chance to win a pair of Atom movie tickets for you and a guest to see Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera! Brought to you by Lionsgate’s Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera. In Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, the copy goes gangster and the heist goes global. In theaters only January 10th!

Synopsis: Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. return in the sequel to 2018’s action-heist hit Den of Thieves. In Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera, Big Nick (Butler) is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie (Jackson), who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.

About The Film

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller Starring: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr. return for a Den of Thieves sequel, and the options for where to watch Den of Thieves 2: Pantera vary over time. Butler and Jackson Jr. joined forces for an action/heist movie in the vein of Michael Mann's Heat back in 2018. Despite the mixed-to-negative response from critics, Den of Thieves found an audience at the box office and became a cult favorite. That allowed a sequel to happen with Den of Thieves 2's cast once again headlined by the two main stars of the first film as some new faces join them.

The story of Den of Thieves 2 revolves around Butler's Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien turning away from his life serving the law and joining forces with Jackson Jr.'s Donnie to pull off a new heist. Leaving the streets of Los Angeles behind for a European setting, the Gerard...

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera ransacks theaters on January 10, 2025, giving audiences another daring bank heist seven years after The Outlaws robbed Los Angeles' Federal Reserve. Although The Outlaws' leader, Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), will not participate in the risky overseas robbery, a handful of characters from the original return for more hyper-violent action as the story moves overseas to London.

Written and directed by Christian Gudegast, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is a direct sequel to the 2018 original bank robbery crime thriller. Aside from several supporting players, at least one main character on each side of the law returns to the sequel, continuing the cat-and-mouse rivalry between The Outlaws and The Regulators. Here's who'll come back in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.

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Den of Thieves 2: Pantera ActionCrimeThriller

Release Date January 10, 2025Runtime 0 MinutesCast Gerard Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr.,...

2025 is kicking off with a variety of movies releasing in theaters, such as a peculiar semi-biographical musical, two horror versions of well-known children’s characters, a remake of a horror classic, and more. 2024 was an interesting year for cinema, with big hits and unexpected surprises from different genres. 2024 saw hits like The Fall Guy, Longlegs, Wicked, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Anora, The Substance, and Terrifier 3, though also some big disappointments, as was Joker: Folie à Deux, Megalopolis, and The Crow.

December closed 2024 with some of the most anticipated movies of the year, such as Sony’s Spider-Man Universe’s Kraven the Hunter, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Disney’s photorealistic prequel Mufasa: The Lion King, the biopic A Complete Unknown, and Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. January 2025 is now bringing movies for all tastes, such as Robbie Williams’ life and career told in an unconventional way, Leigh Whannell’s latest horror project, two horror versions of children’s characters,...

The 2025 movie year is almost here, and Screen Rant is proud to present exclusive looks at 24 upcoming titles. The last few years for Hollywood have not gone as expected between the pandemic and strikes shutting down productions and delaying releases. But 2025 looks to be a year in film that will give audiences plenty of movies to see. This includes some major blockbusters, like Captain America: Brave New World and Jurassic World Rebirth, releasing in theaters, as well as Back In Action and Star Trek: Section 31 premiering on streaming services.

With 2024 winding down, Screen Rant's 2025 Movie Preview turns the focus to next year. Exclusive images from the aforementioned titles can be found below, along with new looks at other major titles, such as Ryan Coogler's Sinners and DreamWorks' live-action How To Train Your Dragon. There are also projects with Daisy Ridley, Gerard Butler, Donnie Yen, and more. So whether you're looking forward to action,...

Lionsgate will be giving the highly-anticipated action thriller Den of Thieves 2: Pantera a theatrical release on January 10th – and with that date right around the corner, we’ve gotten our hands on a batch of Exclusive images from the film that feature stars Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr., highlighting the “buddy” dynamic their characters have in this sequel. You can check the images out at the bottom of this article.

This sequel involves a balls-to-the-wall diamond heist in Europe, with ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien (Gerard Butler) and Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) burying the hatchet for a bullet-chewing-caper that could set them up for life. Here’s the official synopsis: In Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Big Nick is back on the hunt on the mean streets of Europe, closing in on Donnie, who is embroiled in the dangerous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia,...

After countless delays over seven years, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is scheduled for a 2025 release date. The film’s director, Christian Gudegast, explains why the film took so long to complete.

The sequel to the 2018 action/crime film Den of Thieves is on its way. In an interview with Screen Rant, Gudegast explained that the “state of the world” created several roadblocks that delayed the film. Additionally, three new images from the sequel have been unveiled by Screen Rant, and they can be seen below.

Related Exclusive: Den of Thieves 2: Pantera Trailer Revealed by Director Christian Gudegast

The Den of Thieves 2: Pantera trailer has plenty of heist action for movie fans, and writer-director Christian Gudegast tells Cbr about the sequel.

“The first hit was Covid. We were just about to do it, then Covid hit, and that was that," the director said. "Then we had an actor injury to their knee,...