“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” released on January 10, 2025, is the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2018 heist thriller “Den of Thieves.” Directed by Christian Gudegast, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Paul T. Scheuring, the film reunites stars Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr., reprising their roles as the relentless Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department detective Nicholas “Big Nick” O’Brien and the cunning thief Donnie Wilson. This installment shifts the action from the gritty streets of Los Angeles to the sun-drenched, glamorous locales of Europe, delivering a high-stakes diamond heist narrative inspired by the real-life 2003 Antwerp diamond robbery.

Produced by Lionsgate, alongside Diamond Film Productions, G-BASE, and Tucker Tooley Entertainment, the film blends tactical crime drama with a newfound lightness, trading the original’s brooding intensity for a more playful, buddy-cop dynamic.

The story picks up with Big Nick, still reeling from personal turmoil, including a recent divorce, as he tracks Donnie across Europe. Donnie, now entangled with the notorious Panther mafia, is orchestrating a daring heist targeting the world’s largest diamond exchange in Nice, France.

The plot kicks off with a pulse-pounding opening in Antwerp, where Donnie and the Panther Crew, led by the enigmatic Jovanna (Evin Ahmad), steal a rare red diamond, setting the stage for a cat-and-mouse game. Nick, gone rogue from his department, pursues Donnie not just to apprehend him but with a surprising twist of intent—teaming up for the heist. Their unlikely alliance, cemented over drunken shawarma and banter about French cuisine, injects the film with a shaggy charm reminiscent of early “Fast & Furious” films, though it’s layered with Gudegast’s signature procedural detail.

Spanning 144 minutes, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” luxuriates in its slow-burn buildup, dedicating much of its runtime to the meticulous planning of the diamond center break-in. From camera cycles to fake identities, the film revels in heist logistics, punctuated by tension from vengeful ex-crew members and a Sardinian mobster demanding the stolen diamond’s return. The payoff arrives in the second hour with a gripping infiltration sequence and a standout car chase through the French Alps, evoking Michael Mann’s “Heat” and John Frankenheimer’s “Ronin.” Butler’s Nick, hanging off Donnie’s getaway car, firing at pursuers, anchors the visceral action, shot with a metallic realism by cinematographer Terry Stacey using Arri Alexa cameras.

The cast expands with strong supporting turns from Evin Ahmad as a potential love interest for Nick, Salvatore Esposito as a mafia heavy, and Meadow Williams reprising her role from the first film. Filmed across Tenerife, the Canary Islands, and the UK from April to July 2023, the production transformed Santa Cruz streets into a French diamond district, enhancing the film’s European flair. Kevin Matley’s score replaces Cliff Martinez’s from the original, adding a fresh sonic pulse to the Mediterranean setting.

Critically, the film sits at a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, lauded for Butler’s charisma and the thrilling set pieces, though some, like Rolling Stone’s David Fear, critique its convoluted plot and overlong runtime. Grossing $57.3 million worldwide against a $40 million budget, it topped the U.S. box office with a $15 million opening weekend. Now streaming on Netflix as of March 20, 2025, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” refines its predecessor’s macho ethos into a more elegant, if familiar, thriller—leaving the door ajar for a third installment, already greenlit, set in Africa.