It's been six years since Christian Gudegast's "Den of Thieves" first unleashed 'Big Nick' O'Brien (Gerard Butler) — the original gangster cop who eats donuts off the ground and busts heists afterward — to the masses. The booze-soaked, nicotine-stained, "Heat"-inspired actioner is a masterclass in pure cinematic machismo that proves why Butler is the king of trash cinema (and I mean that as a compliment). The sequel, "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera," can't come soon enough. In the meantime, /Film is pleased to share this exclusive clip of Nick and his pals in action.
The trailer for "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" already teased more action and mayhem, but this scene highlights how much danger the film's characters will find themselves in when the proverbial poop hits the fan during a car chase. In it, Nick, Donnie Wilson (O'Shea Jackson), and their pal Slavko (Salvatore Esposito) speed through the streets while engaged in a machine gun fight with assassins in two other vehicles. Bullets penetrate windows and ricochet off bonnets like hailstones, and our heroes narrowly avoid meeting their makers on a couple of occasions.
It's an intense scene that delivers the glorious carnage that the trash king's followers hope to see in "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera." Furthermore, it highlights the strange new bedfellows alliance between Nick and Donnie following the events of the first film.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera brings an unlikely duo together
Lionsgate
'Big Nick' O'Brien and Donnie Wilson have a complicated relationship. The latter met Nick while working as a barman in a seedy establishment. However, their relationship blossomed after the renegade cop tasered Donnie in a parking lot, dragged him to a sleazy apartment, and interrogated him alongside his clique of whiskey-fueled cops and some sex workers. This is when Nick and co. discover that Donnie is a getaway driver for the thieves they're hunting, but the film's big twist reveals that he's actually their mastermind.
"Den of Thieves" ends with Donnie escaping to London, and the sequel will see Nick hunt him down. The donut-eating detective can't accept that one criminal finally got the better of him, and he's willing to cross continents to bring him to justice. However, when Donnie gets tangled up in a world of international diamond thieves and gangsters, Nick learns that there are bigger fish to fry, and he needs Donnie's help.
Director Christian Gudegast has also said that Nick will become the hunted in "Den of Thieves 2," so it'll be interesting to see how the rugged detective deals with being at a disadvantage. More importantly, many European countries are known for their delicious baked goods and cuisines, so Butler's character will be spoiled for choice if he dines at any more crime scenes.
"Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" opens in theaters on January 10, 2025.
English (US) ·