Truth: I forgot Den of Thieves was a thing. The poor man's Heat opened just a few weeks ago and flew out of theaters with quickness, but stuck around long enough to earn $57M after a decent opening weekend. Apparently that was enough to get Gerard Butler booked for a sequel, and if you guessed that the low-budget crime flick was heading overseas you guessed right.
Butler will return for Den of Thieves 2, along with 50 Cent, O'Shea Jackson Jr., and writer/director Christian Gudegast. The film picks up right where the last one ended, with out of control detective Big Nick (Butler) in London on the hunt for Donnie (Jackson Jr.), who has hooked up with a European crew of diamond thieves.
The math is easy on this one. The film cost around $30M and is still going strong during its overseas theatrical run. Combine that with strong audience approval that shows continued interest and you've got the recipe for more Gerard Butler than you thought anybody wanted to see.
