Gerard Butler’s $58M Heist Sequel Becomes a Global Sensation 1 Year After Flopping in Theaters

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The action movie Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is now a hit with audiences worldwide on streaming services, even though it didn’t perform well in theaters when it was first released over a year ago.

According to data from FlixPatrol, as of April 29th, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is still the most popular movie on HBO Max worldwide. It’s currently ranked #1, ahead of the documentary 2073 at #2 and a new release at #3. Den of Thieves 2 has been the top movie in several countries since April 25th, but it’s not available on HBO Max in the United States. U.S. viewers can watch it on Netflix instead. Pantera is a sequel to the 2018 film Den of Thieves, starring Gerard Butler, and tells the story of a dangerous diamond heist based on real events.

Gerard Butler’s Den of Thieves 2 Finds Global Success After Underwhelming Theatrical Run

The movie is inspired by the real 2003 Antwerp diamond heist. It centers around a Los Angeles sheriff who follows a suspected thief in Europe, hoping they can work together on a new robbery. Gerard Butler stars as Sheriff Nicholas ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien, and O’Shea Jackson Jr. reprises his role as Donnie Wilson, also known as ‘Jean-Jacques,’ from the sequel.

Surprisingly, Pantera received better reviews than the first film. It has a 62% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 100 critic reviews – a significant improvement over its predecessor’s 42% score. Audiences also enjoyed the movie, giving it a 79% rating from over 2,500 verified responses.

Despite receiving good reviews, the movie Pantera didn’t do well in theaters. It cost $40 million to make but only earned $58.4 million worldwide, which was a financial disappointment. This is particularly true when compared to Den of Thieves, which made $80.5 million with a budget of just $30 million. However, the film is now finding success on streaming services, which should help the studio recoup its investment.

Following the release of Pantera, director Butler expressed his eagerness to start filming a third movie, but its development hinged on how well the second film performed. In February 2025, Variety announced that a third installment was officially planned, with Butler and Jackson both returning. No further information about the project has been released yet.

Butler’s Latest Film is Also Heading to HBO Max

HBO Max recently saw success with Den of Thieves 2, and now another Gerard Butler film, Greenland 2: Migration, will also be available on the streaming service. This comes only four months after the movie had a disappointing run in theaters, where it earned just $44.8 million despite costing $90 million to make.

The second film in the ‘A’ series, directed by Ric Roman Waugh, stars Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin. This post-apocalyptic story takes place on Earth after a comet has devastated the planet, and follows a courageous family as they venture out of their shelter in search of a new place to live.

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is now streaming on HBO Max globally and on Netflix in the United States.

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2026-04-30 19:07