Den of Thieves 2: Pantera became yet another big January hit for Gerard Butler when the 2025 movie burst onto the scene and stole the big prize at the top of the box office. Christian Gudegast’s latest crime thriller, which also saw the return of O’Shea Jackson Jr., not only did a great job of picking up the action from where its 2018 predecessor left off, but also teased what could be the next stage in the franchise’s cat-and-mouse story. And now, there are probably a lot of folks out there wondering if we’re going to get Den of Thieves 3.
While nothing has been made official about the threequel (please be called Den of Thi3ves), the two stars at the top of the cast list and the director have all spoken quite a bit about the franchise’s future since Pantera was released. That being said, here’s a rundown of everything that’s been said about Den of Thieves 3 so far…
Director Christian Gudegast Has Said He's 'Feeling Very Good About' Den Of Thieves 3
Just as Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was making waves with critics, director Christian Gudegast was starting to get questions about what was next for the franchise. When speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker revealed that he was “feeling very good about” a third film and that the story was “already pitched.”
Gudegast, who has worked with Gerard Butler on movies like Plane and London Has Fallen, in addition to directing the first Den of Thieves, didn’t share a whole lot of information about what was next for the franchise, or if we’ll keep seeing Big Nick take down cigarettes in style, but it was a good start.
In Fact, Gudegast Has Said Den Of Thieves 3 Is ‘All Ready To Go’
In January 2025, Gudegast sat down with Collider for a sprawling interview that touched on everything from his planning process for the movies, where he wants the franchise to go if there are more installments, and an update on Den of Thieves 3:
Den 3 is all ready to go. It's all outlined. I do notes, files, outlines, and when it’s time to do the script, it’s just basically changing the format, really. So it's all outlined for the next two.
Gudegast’s comments about “the next two” make it sound like he has at least a basic idea in place for a fourth and fifth movie, if those become a reality somewhere down the road. And if the early box office success of Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is any indication, we’ll be seeing much more of Big Nick eating donuts off the ground of a crime scene far into the future.
Christian Gudegast Has Said Den Of Thieves 3 Will Be 'Geopolitical And Involve Art'
The first movie was very much a straightforward heist film in the vein of Heat, and the second film took on a more buddy-action feel with the incredible dynamic shared by Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s characters. Going off what Gudegast has said about his plans for Thieves 3, it sounds like he’s adding the world of geopolitics and art to the franchise. When speaking with Daily Dose of Buffa in January 2025, he teased the threequel by saying:
It’s going to be geopolitical and involve art. The precious resources of the world. This one is going to be fucking crazy. New criminal underworld, more heavy, Ukrainians involved.
There will be a new adventure and new location, but it sounds like the movie will be bringing back some familiar faces from the first film. In the same interview, the director said he’s bringing back more guys from the 2018 heist film, including The Regulators, Nick’s former team from the LASD.
Gerard Butler Has Teased That Den Of Thieves 3 Could Take Place In Africa
The franchise seems to be taking a similar approach to expanding the action, story, and locations to the one we’ve seen in the Fast and Furious franchise over the years, and the planned third movie could take the series to its most exotic location yet. When speaking with The Direct about its future in January 2025, Gerard Butler teased that the action flick could involve Africa:
So I don't know. It sounds like it's a great adventure, and I'm scared to say anything if we don't go with this version. But it could involve Africa, and it's some really exciting stuff over there. I don't know enough about it to know what I could do with Nick.
These comments seem to go hand-in-hand with what Gudegast has said about the movie having a more geopolitical focus compared to the first two films. It will be interesting to see if the whole diamond angle from Pantera plays into the new location and story as well.
Franchise Producer Tucker Tooley Teased 'More Sequels' When Discussing The Break Between The First Two Den Of Thieves Movies
There was a LONG break between the first and second movies, seven years to be exact, but it sounds like that won’t be the case the next time around. When speaking with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell in January 2025, producer Tucker Tooley attributed the longer-than-expected break to the COVID-19 pandemic, stars getting injured, and the production having to shift filming locations due to tax issues.
On top of all of that, Tooley further teased not just one more sequel, but two more in the years to come. Great news for fans of the franchise and Gerard Butler movies in general, as it sounds like we could be getting much more Den of Thieves in the near future.
Gerard Butler And O'Shea Jackson Jr. Have Said They'd Love To Work With Idris Elba In The Third Movie
The Den of Thieves franchise has seen actors like Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Pablo Schreiber, Salvatore Esposito, and multiple others so far. But stars Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. have their sights set on one of the biggest names on the planet when it comes to a wishlist for the third film.
During their own conversation with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell in January 2025, the actors both commented on their desire to work with someone who appeared on The Wire cast and also has been in the mix with James Bond rumors over the years:
JACKSON: Let me tell you, man, as long as O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Gerard Butler are in it, I'm fine. (laughs) But yeah, anybody who wants to play ball. Obviously, it's all on the public, who pretty much tells the studio that we need a third one. We need a trilogy going. There's a ton of action stars out there. I'm gonna shout out Idris Elba, just to shout him out. Why not? BUTLER: I already worked with Idris. You can't go wrong with Idris Elba in any way. In life. In a movie. He's an all round amazing individual. A phenomenal actor.
Bringing in Elba for the third installment – either as a good guy, a bad guy, or someone matching the energy and moral ambiguity of Big Nick – would be a wild addition to the franchise and would honestly take it to new heights.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Den of Thieves 3, but it sounds like it’s only a matter of time based on what those involved with the project have said. In the meantime, there’s never been a better time to check out our breakdown of the best action movies of all time.
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