‘Den of Thieves 2’ Flops at Box Office Despite Early VOD Release

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  • Gerard Butler Has Limited Box-Office Drawing Power
  • ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’ Was Made for Streaming

About fifteen years ago, Gerard Butler was almost breaking through into full stardom, thanks to his impressive roles in films like “Law Abiding Citizen,” “Olympus Has Fallen,” and “300.” But the 2017 disaster movie “Geostorm” turned out to be a flop, both critically and commercially. This seemed to take a significant toll on his career, causing him to shift from being a near-A-list Hollywood actor to a B-movie action star. This change became evident starting from the 2018 crime film “Den of Thieves.

Among the characters he’s played in the last decade, Detective Nick O’Brien from the movie “Den of Thieves” stands out as one of the most unique and intriguing roles for actor Gerard Butler. Although “Den of Thieves” didn’t initially become a blockbuster hit, it gradually gained enough appeal to warrant a follow-up film, titled “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera“, in which Nick appears to have changed allegiances by journeying to Europe to team up with a group of thieves for planning and executing an intricate diamond heist.

‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’ Under-Performed at the Box Office

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In its debut weekend, the movie “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” was expected to earn around $11 million to $13 million at U.S. box offices. However, it exceeded this expectation, raking in approximately $15 million during its opening weekend. This strong performance can be attributed to favorable responses from both audiences and critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” currently boasts a 61% critical rating and 79% audience score, compared to the original “Den of Thieves” which had a 41% critical rating and 63% audience score. Interestingly, despite playing in more than 500 fewer theaters, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” came close to matching the opening weekend gross of its predecessor, which was $15.2 million.

As a cinephile eagerly watching the box office numbers unfold, I’ve got to say it was thrilling to see the staggering opening weekend of $15 million for “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” securing its debut atop the domestic box office, even over the much-anticipated “Mufasa: The Lion King.” However, in its second weekend, the sequel dropped down to fifth place with a gross of approximately $6.6 million. Dropping further, it reached ninth place during its third weekend with a domestic gross of about $3 million. In the fourth weekend, marking the first weekend post-VOD release, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” managed to earn around $1.6 million.

After nearly depleting its theatrical performance, Den of Thieves 2: Panthera – costing $40 million to produce – has amassed roughly $35 million in domestic earnings and about $18.3 million internationally, amounting to a global tally of around $53.2 million. Contrastingly, the original Den of Thieves wrapped up its box office run with a worldwide gross of over $80.5 million, despite having a production budget of only $30 million.

Gerard Butler Has Limited Box-Office Drawing Power

In terms of his career, Gerard Butler’s most financially successful films are “300” (2006), an action movie with a historical backdrop that earned over $450 million globally, and “Geostorm” (2017), which grossed over $220 million despite being criticized for its high production costs and receiving negative reviews.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I can’t help but recall the last blockbuster featuring my favorite action hero, Gerard Butler, that surpassed the $100 million mark at global box offices. That milestone was achieved by the third installment of the “Has Fallen” film series, the 2019 action-packed thriller, “Angel Has Fallen.” This high-octane movie wrapped up its cinema journey with a staggering worldwide gross of over $133 million, all on a production budget of just $40 million.

Since then, the budgets for Butler’s predominantly action-driven leading roles have been relatively restrained, while his dedicated fanbase has grown more consolidated. My recent viewing experiences indicate that audiences are now more inclined to watch Butler’s starring vehicles from the comfort of their homes through streaming and Video On Demand (VOD) services rather than in theaters.

‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’ Was Made for Streaming

Pantera.” This movie was released on Video-on-Demand (VOD) just three weeks after its theatrical premiere. In essence, the initial theatrical release of “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” actually helped to advertise its streaming version, supporting Tarantino’s argument that such releases serve a promotional purpose for digital platforms.

Even though Den of Thieves 2: Pantera hasn’t officially started streaming yet, its theatrical release sparked a renewed interest in streaming for the original Den of Thieves. Despite the sequel’s lower box office earnings compared to the first film, its anticipated streaming popularity and robust early VOD figures have prompted the announcement of a third Den of Thieves installment. This upcoming movie is expected to arrive more quickly than the seven-year gap between the first two films in the series. By the way, you can now rent Den of Thieves 2: Pantera on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play.

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2025-02-11 03:31