At long last, director Christian Gudegast’s highly anticipated Den Of Thieves sequel has an official with Den Of Thieves: Pantera, currently making the sales rounds at Cannes for eOne’s Sierra/Affinity. The sequel was announced last February in the weeks that followed the first film’s January rollout from STXfilms, firstly developing in 2003 between a few studios.
Den Of Thieves overperformed up to $57 million dollars by its third week and ultimately grossed upwards of $80 million dollars by the end of its run. That film saw a sprawling battle of words, wits and bullets amid high drama and suspense with Butler playing Big Nick O’Brien, a Los Angeles detective who despite his unraveling personal life is bent on nabbing a gang of vicious bankrobbers hiding in plain sight led by Marine veteran-turned-career criminal Ray Merrimen, played by Pablo Schrieber.
O’Shea Jackson Jr. also headlined the cast as Donnie Wilson, a seeming bartender who would turn out to be a huge decider in the unfolding plot as the seething crime tale brewed and boiled into an explosive and bloody third act gun battle between the LAPD and Merrimen’s crew.
Butler and Jackson Jr. are expected to return for the sequel, continuing the story with O’Brien back on the hunt on the mean-streets of Europe, closing in on Wilson who now finds himself embroiled in the dangerous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, in lieu of a massive heist of the world’s biggest diamond exchange. Actress Meadow Williams, who appeared in the first film as Merriman’s girlfriend, Holly, will also return.
Butler will reconvene once more on the producers’ end with Tucker Tooley, Mark Canton, Alan Siegel and Butler, with Williams exec producing and Den Of Thieves co-star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson returning to the set in a producing capacity according to Deadline. Tucker’s Tucker Tooley Entertainment will finance next to eOne for production start later this year.
Jonathan Kier, Sierra/Affinity’s President of Sales and Distribution, stated, “We are incredibly excited to join such a thrilling franchise that has clearly captured audiences all around the world. We look forward to partnering with this very talented team of actors, producers and filmmakers.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the talented team at eOne and their sales team at Sierra/Affinity to make Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Christian Gudegast and our incredibly talented cast will surely take filmgoers on another fun and absolutely authentic ride into one of the biggest international diamond heists of all time,” said Tucker Tooley, CEO of Tooley Entertainment.
(DEADLINE)