What to know:
- Kalshi bettors are predicting Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’s Rotten Tomatoes score, with the current forecasted score sitting at 49%.
- The film follows Big Nick (Gerard Butler) as he chases Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) through Europe’s high-stakes world of diamond heists.
- Based on the original Den of Thieves’ 41% Rotten Tomatoes score and the poor reception of recent action-heist films in 2024, the sequel is likely to receive a “Rotten” score.
The action crime drama Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is arriving in theaters on Jan. 10, 2024. This film is a sequel to the 2018 film Den of Thieves.
Top prediction markets have been betting on this film’s Rotten Tomatoes score since the middle of December. On Kalshi, the market has over $50,000 so far with its lowest predicted score at 25.4 and a high of 55.3. It currently sits at a forecasted score of 49.
Before betting on Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, here’s what you should know.
What is ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’?
After the first movie’s $80 million global box office performance, the second film was announced and will be released about seven years after the first movie.
Gerard Butler (Plane, Has Fallen series) and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) return in the sequel to 2018’s action-heist hit Den of Thieves. In DEN OF THIEVES: PANTERA, Big Nick (Butler) is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie (Jackson), who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.
Besides Butler and Jackson Jr. returning, Meadow Williams is also returning for the sequel. Joining the cast are Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, and Swen Temmel. The film was shot in the United Kingdom and the Canary Islands.
Critical reception of action heist movies
The original Den of Thieves did not perform well with critics. The film has a “Rotten” score of 41. And there are no other past projects to look at for the director, Christian Gudegast.
We can take a look at past action heist films released in 2024 to see how they perform with critics.
| Movie | Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score | Number of Reviews |
| The Instigators (2024) | 40% | 156 |
| Lift (2024) | 30% | 70 |
| Brothers (2024) | 44% | 25 |
| Cash Out (2024) | 20% | 20 |
| Ride (2024) | 70% | 20 |
Taking a look at five of 2024’s action heist movies, the Rotten Tomatoes scores are not impressive. Only one of the films is “Fresh” and the rest are “Rotten” scores below 50.
These films seemed to be hard sells for critics with many critics pointing out each of the films’ formulaic approach to the genre. This is not a good sign for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.
Early Reviews and Reactions
There were early screenings of the film and several people tweeted about their reactions.
Chris Evangelista, /Films Chief Film Critic says, “Takes the dirtbag action charms of the first and adds a buddy comedy angle… keep making these movies and I will keep watching them.” And journalist Simon Thompson tweeted, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was more my jam than the first.”
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was more my jam than the first. Gerard Butler LOVES being Big Nick and he and O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s Donnie are a solid reunited pairing. Moving the heist action to Europe, it embraces everything that comes with that with smarts and panache #DenOfThieves2 pic.twitter.com/ldYKEkze9l
— Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) December 17, 2024
While Evangelista seemed to imply that he liked the first and second one, and would enjoy any other sequels, Thompson thought the sequel was an improvement on the first. These are good indications for the film.
However, given heist films’ poor Rotten Tomatoes scores and the first film’s “Rotten” score, this movie will likely receive another “Rotten” score.
