‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’ Could Steal ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’s Crown at the Box Office this Weekend

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This coming weekend sees Gerard Butler reprising his role as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien in the sequel to “Den of Thieves,” titled “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.” There’s a chance this film could unseat “Mufasa: The Lion King” from its box office throne, as it has been leading the pack recently. According to Variety, the anticipated earnings for “Den of Thieves 2” are estimated to be between $11 million and $13 million across approximately 3,000 screens.

The Lion King. However, this depends on the performance of the family-friendly prequel. Last weekend, it grossed a decent $23.4 million, indicating strong potential. Yet, that was also the last weekend of winter break when schools reopened, which could advantage the sequel as kids return to school. The only other notable movie debuting this weekend is Better Man, with predictions placing its earnings at around $2 million and showing on 1,200 screens.

In this revisit of the Den of Thieves series, once more helmed by director Christian Gudegast – a collaborator on the screenplay for Gerard Butler’s “London Has Fallen” – we find ourselves delving into the plot of “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.

In this rendition, Big Nick (the Butler) is once again on a pursuit across Europe, getting closer to Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), who finds himself entangled in the dangerous and volatile realm of diamond thieves and the notorious Panther mafia. They are scheming a grand heist targeting the world’s largest diamond trading center.

Can ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’ Beat ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ this Weekend?

As a cinephile, I can’t help but reminisce about my first encounter with “Den of Thieves” back in January 2018. The movie made quite an impression, raking in a fiery $15.2 million during its opening weekend. Considering that January is often a slow month for box office revenues, this was quite the achievement! Eventually, it managed to pull in a total of $80.5 million worldwide, all on a production budget of roughly $30 million (excluding marketing costs). This impressive performance certainly paved the way for a sequel.

Initial predictions for the film’s box office earnings are less than its predecessor, and it was produced at a $10 million higher cost. Whether “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” will sustain its success or not is uncertain, given the competition in the coming weeks. Other movies such as “Wolf Man,” scheduled for January 17, and Mark Wahlberg’s “Flight Risk” on the 24th, may impact its performance. Ultimately, the movie’s fate will rely heavily on critical appraisals and audience reactions. At this point, it has an average rating of 6.7 / 10 on IMDb, while other reviews have been less favorable. As of now, Rotten Tomatoes has not posted any reviews for the film.

Although Mufasa has been successful at the box office, it’s impressive given the tough competition from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which has amassed a staggering $340 million worldwide; the Sonic franchise has surpassed $1 billion in global box office earnings. As of now, Mufasa: The Lion King has made $481 million globally. Both films were released around the same time, with Mufasa premiering on Dec. 18, 2024 and Sonic 3 hitting screens on Dec. 20.

There’s a chance that “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” might outperform “Mufasa: The Lion King” at the box office this weekend, but the weather could influence things significantly. Snow is expected to hit most of the eastern United States, and unfortunately, there are ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles as well.

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2025-01-09 21:05