When news first broke that Den of Thieves 3 is happening, my immediate reaction was that I hope we don’t have to wait more than a half-decade to see what’s next for Gerard Butler’s Nick “Big Nick” O’Brien and O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie Wilson. But after speaking with Christian Gudegast, the man behind Den of Thieves 2: Pantera --a great heist film that critics called “too much fun” when it hit the 2025 movie schedule -- I don’t think we’ll have to worry about another seven-year itch.
I recently sat down with Gudegast to discuss Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which is now available on PVOD and will be dropping on physical media on March 4 from Lionsgate, to discuss everything from the sequel’s best scenes to the dynamic shared by Butler and Jackson to where the franchise is going moving forward. And when I asked when fans could expect to see the ball get rolling on the highly-anticipated threequel, he had this to say:
Between now and next year, we’ll get the script all done. And then I’m going to be doing some other stuff, and so is [Gerard Butler] and [O’Shea Jackson Jr.], and then we, in terms of shooting, will be in 2026.
Gudegast didn’t have a perfect timeline for the shoot, but this is great news for those of us who just can’t get enough of the Den of Thieves franchise, even if some of us waited so long to start watching. And while nothing has been said about a possible release date, it wouldn’t be all the surprising if Den of Thieves 3 came out at some point in January 2027, the same month the first two movies hit the big screen.
Based on everything that’s been said about Den of Thieves 3, it sounds like the upcoming heist film will not only be another fun action thriller, but also be part of something much bigger. During my chat with Gudegast, the director not only said he’s got a third movie ready to go, but he has plans for Den of Thieves 4 and beyond:
Well, we have both three and four. I’ve got both three and four ready to go. Each one's going to be so different. And it's almost like a different kind of film I've always wanted to make. So, you know, building a franchise based on original content in this business is like the holy grail. And that’s what we’ve done. So, I’m going to ride it all the way.
The director's comments about a franchise based on original content being a “holy grail” were great to hear. There are countless franchises these days, but seeing one not tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the up-and-coming DCU, or legacy sequels like the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth is honestly incredibly refreshing. And no, it’s not just because I want to see Gerard Butler take down cigs like nobody’s business.
When we’ll get to see Den of Thieves 3 is anyone’s guess at this point, but you can watch Pantera now on PVOD services or on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD starting March 4, 2025.
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