Den of Thieves 2 – Pantera Filmmakers Talk Developing a New Chapter in the Fan-Favorite Series

When it comes to action-oriented experiences on the big screen, recent years have seen superhero adventures dominate the genre. These movies feature larger-than-life characters and clear divides between good and evil, but in 2018, Den of Thieves injected some much-needed freshness into the action world. The action was much more precise and calculated yet no less impressive, while the film’s compelling characters lived in more of a morally grey area than anything seen in a superhero movie. It’s exactly because of this that the first Den of Thieves has earned such a passionate following, one which allowed director Christian Gudegast and producer Tucker Tooley to deliver the sequel Den of Thieves 2 – Pantera, which hits theaters on January 10th.

When asked by ComicBook how developing the sequel compared to the original, Gudegast explained, “It was just much easier because you know who was playing the roles, so it’s a different dynamic when you’re writing for an actor specifically, it’s cool. I would call them a lot and I would talk out scenes and I’d send them the scene I’m thinking and they would respond and play it a little bit. It’s a big help, actually, because you can really drill down on the cadence, the rhythm, the dialog, how it sounds, and so it’s actually cool.”

Den of Thieves 2 – Pantera is described, “Gerard Butler (Plane, Has Fallen series) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Out of Compton, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) 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.”

While the sequel manages to keep an intense tone, there’s more lighthearted moments in Pantera. Gudegast detailed the challenge, and thrill, of finding the right tonal balance.

“We love the humor in Den 1. There are a few scenes that were cut out that were pretty funny, so we just wanted to — it’s not about we want to make a funny movie. It’s just there just so much opportunity for it,” the filmmaker revealed. “You take a character like Big Nick and you take him out of America and you bring him over to Europe. He’s never been over there. It’s just ripe for that stuff, so we just dove into it.”

When looking to other corners of the filmmakers’ careers, after being asked which film from his history he’d like to develop another installment for, Tooley was quick to confirm, “Hands down, We’re the Millers.” He added, “We have a sequel script, and it’s a good script. We’re trying to get that going.”

Den of Thieves 2 – Pantera hits theaters on January 10th.