Den of Thieves (film)

Den of Thieves is an exciting action crime film from 2018. It was written and directed by Christian Gudegast and stars actors like Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, and Curtis Jackson. The story is about police officers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. They try to stop a group of thieves. These thieves are former Marines and plan a big robbery.

The film was made by STXfilms and released in the United States on January 19, 2018. People had mixed feelings about the movie, but it was seen around the world. Later, a sequel called Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was released on January 10, 2025 by Lionsgate Films.

Plot

In Los Angeles, a group of former Marines led by Ray Merrimen steal an armored truck and run away after a fight with the police. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Detective Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien and his team, the Major Crimes Unit, look into the robbery and think Merrimen did it.

Merrimen's team plans to rob the Federal Reserve to take old money that is taken out of use each day. They use a trick to get inside and steal the money. During their plan, they take people at a bank but get away through the sewers.

In the end, Nick finds out that Donnie, the bartender, was really the boss behind the robbery. Donnie tricked Merrimen and his team and has already taken the stolen money to a safe place far away.

Cast

This action movie has many talented actors. Gerard Butler plays Detective Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien, an officer from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department who tries to stop some thieves. Pablo Schreiber is Ray Merrimen, the leader of the thieves, who plans to rob a big bank in Los Angeles.

Other actors include O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie Wilson, a skilled driver, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Enson Levoux, another person in the robbery. The cast also includes Evan Jones, Mo McRae, and Dawn Olivieri, all playing important roles in this exciting story.

Production

The movie took about 14 years to plan. Director Christian Gudegast and his writing partner made an agreement with New Line Cinema in 2003. At first, Peter Berg was going to direct it, and they even thought about making it as a TV show. Later, Relativity Media was supposed to share the movie. Jay Dobyns, who acted as a character named Wolfgang, was a former special agent and helped give advice for the film.

Filming began in January 2017. The director of photography, Terry Stacey, used the Arri Alexa XT Plus camera to film. Even though the story happens in Los Angeles, California, most of the movie was filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Some aerial shots showed places like the Vincent Thomas Bridge, the Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island, and the sky of Downtown Los Angeles.

Reception

Box office

Den of Thieves earned $44.9 million in the United States and Canada and $35.7 million in other countries, totaling $80.5 million worldwide. The movie cost $30 million to make.

When Den of Thieves was released in the United States and Canada on January 19, 2018, it was shown in 2,432 theaters. It was expected to make $7–10 million in its first weekend but surprised everyone by making $15.3 million, finishing third at the box office. In the weeks that followed, its earnings dropped but it still did well.

Critical response

On the website Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of 136 reviews were positive, giving the movie an average rating of 5.1 out of 10. The site said the movie tried hard to copy classic heist movies but didn’t quite match them. Metacritic gave it a score of 49 out of 100 based on 24 reviews, meaning mixed or average reviews. People who watched the movie gave it an average grade of "B+" on a scale from A+ to F.

Sequel

Main article: Den of Thieves 2: Pantera

In February 2018, it was announced that a sequel to the film was being made. The same writer and director would return, and some of the original actors were talking about coming back too. The movie was originally set to come out in late 2024, but after some changes in companies, it was finally released on January 10, 2025.