Den of Thieves 2: Panterastar Gerard Butler teases what’s to come from the dynamic between his Big Nick and O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Donnie in the upcoming sequel. After a successful first outing in 2018 as Big Nick, an LAPD County Sheriff officer relentlessly tracking an elite crew of bank robbers, Butler’s unhinged character is set to return in a sequel next year from director Christian Gudegast. As was revealed in the firstDen of Thieves 2: Panteratrailer, the sequel features Big Nick switching sides, joining Donnie to rob the world’s largest diamond exchange.
In a recent interview withScreen Rant, Butler previews the Big Nick and Donnie dynamic inDen of Thieves 2: Pantera, promising friction between these two very different personality types. Though the relationship between these two new partners will be “very tense,“Butler also teases that the dichotomy between Big Nick and Donnie also leads to plenty of moments of humor. Check out Butler’s comment below:
I think it leads to a very entertaining, fascinating and rich dynamic between them. There are so many unanswered questions and a fascination and curiosity between them. We played this game of cat and mouse and now suddenly we’re together and I’m saying, “Donnie, I want to do this with you. I’m sick and tired of doing the s*** that I do and not being appreciated.”
But what does that lead to? Because Donnie’s kind of forced into that situation and now he’s got a bull in a china shop, and that’s not his particular way of working.It leads to a very tense and yet funny dynamic. I think if Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Odd Couple had a baby, that would be Nick and Donnie’s relationship.
What The New Big Nick & Donnie Dynamic Means For Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera
How The Sequel Changes Den Of Thieves' Familiar Format
The firstDen of Thieveswas built around the rivalry between Big Nick and Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber), the latter of whom was a ruthless bank robber. TheDen of Thievesendingfeatures Merrimen dead and Donnie living under a new identity in England, and the sequel is now set to make some big changes. Thoughthe first film played like a modern homage to Michael Mann’sHeat(1995), which also featured a cat-and-mouse story involving a cop and a criminal, the second will seemingly be doing away with this formula.
Den Of Thieves 2’s Big Gerard Butler Change Makes The $80 Million Crime Sequel Much More Exciting
Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera brings an unexpected twist to the movie’s cat-and-mouse trope, and it makes the sequel potentially very exciting.
Though Big Nick switching sides and becoming a criminal is removing a key element from the firstDen of Thieves, suggesting that it risks alienating fans of that film, it should be noted thatthe response to the 2018 film critically was mixed to lukewarm. OnRotten Tomatoes,Den of Thieveshas only a 41% critics score and a 63% audience score. Leaning into Big Nick’s wild side and his unpredictability, especially compared to the reserved and controlled Donnie, could be a shake-up that works in the sequel’s favor.
Den of Thieveswas a box office success, grossing $80.5 million on a $30 million budget.
Our Take On Big Nick & Donnie In Den Of Thieves 2
Has Big Nick Really Switched Sides?
Den of Thievesends with the twist that Donnie is the mastermind behind the Federal Reserve heist, not Merrimen, and it’s possible that the sequel will also feature some kind of twist. Though the film is sure to explain it in more detail, it does seem like a stretch that Butler’s character would abandon his law enforcement ideals and embrace a life of crime, andthe twist this time could be that Big Nick’s turn to robbery is part of a larger plan to apprehend Donnie and othersinDen of Thieves 2’s castof characters.
It’s also entirely possible, of course, that Big Nick switching sides is completely genuine. Either way, the dynamic between him and Donnie already sounds like a highlight. Audiences, it seems, are in for some exciting changes inDen of Thieves 2: Pantera.
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Cast
Sheriff “Big Nick” O’Brien tracks Donnie Wilson to Europe after his daring escape. As Donnie becomes deeply involved with diamond thieves and the Panther mafia, the stakes rise with a plan to rob the world’s largest diamond exchange.
