Gerard Butler 's 2018 heist thriller Den of Thieves is finding a second wind as the highly anticipated sequel approaches, with the movie climbing into Max's Top 10 streaming chart. The gritty crime drama did not receive the greatest reception when it was released six years ago, but has been proving its worth on streaming, especially with the imminent arrival of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera now less than a month away.
Streaming audiences do not need much excuse to sit down to watch an action movie, with the genre being one of the most popular across all platforms. The resurgence in interest in Butler's movie not only taps into this trend, but proves that Pantera could have a ready-made audience waiting for its January 10 release.
Directed by Christian Gudegast, Den of Thieves sees Butler playing Nick O'Brien, a detective leading an elite unit tasked with bringing down a group of highly skilled bank robbers. The cat-and-mouse thriller may only have secured a 41% approval score from Rotten Tomatoes critics, but audiences delivered a "fresh" 63% score on the site's Popcornmeter. The movie also provided a healthy return at the box office, with an $80 million gross from a $30 million budget.
The film's arrival on Max's streaming charts proved again that these days a movie has never had its last chance to make a new impression on viewers. A decade ago, Den of Thieves would probably have enjoyed a few weeks in the sun before becoming a bargain bin remnant. Now, films can switch from one platform to another and attract a new audience instantly, and that has been proven again with the movie's new success.
'Den of Thieves 2:Pantera' is Set to Be Another Hit for Gerard Butler
The upcoming Den of Thieves sequel will take the action to Europe, with Butler's "Big Nick" tracking down Donnie Wilson (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) after his dramatic escape in the first movie. With another heist on the cards, and Donnie entangled with diamond thieves and the mafia on the continent, O'Brien is going to need to get on the inside to take them down.
Butler's recent success in action films, including Plane and Greenland, means that the Den of Thieves sequel should have an audience waiting to eat up the action that the movie promises. Producer Tucker Tooley recently told MovieWeb that this is not likely to be the last outing for Butler's O'Brien either. He said:
"We already have a whole idea of what we're doing next. I don't want to give the plot away, but the design here from the original film to this one to the next one was to be a franchise and to be a franchise about incredibly detailed and clever heists with real people... you know, actors that you relate to. There's all kinds of nuance in their performance. So, it was by design, and you know if this one does well, we will absolutely be doing another one."
Related Gerard Butler's Best Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes
Butler's latest film Plane is already getting a sequel, and the Scottish actor has starred in numerous other hit films over the years.
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Action fans can get their fill of Den of Thieves on Max in the coming weeks, and prepare for the story to continue in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera in cinemas on January 10.
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Den of Thieves R ActionCrimeDramaMysteryThriller Where to Watch stream rent buy
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*Availability in US Release Date January 18, 2018 Runtime 140minutes Cast Evan Jones , Pablo Schreiber , Brian Van Holt , Jordan Bridges , Eric Braeden , Gerard Butler , Sonya Balmores , Oleg Taktarov , Meadow Williams , Maurice Compte