Box Office: Den of Thieves 2 Makes $1.35 Million in Previews

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. are back in “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” four years after their first action-packed heist thriller became a hit.

The Lionsgate movie has made $1.35 million in Thursday previews so far at the box office. It’s projected to make $11 million to $13 million in its opening weekend and will battle Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” for the box office crown.

Disney’s photorealistic “Lion King” prequel opened back on Dec. 20 and is on track for $12 million to $15 million in its fourth weekend. It kicked off the new year with $23.4 million last weekend, but it’ll go to second place under “Den of Thieves 2” if it loses some staying power.

The original “Den of Thieves” made $950,000 in Thursday previews when it debuted in January 2018. It launched with $15.2 million in its opening weekend and ended its run with $80 million. The sequel cost $40 million, byt Lionsgate usually lowers its box office risk by selling the foreign rights on its titles.

Written and directed once again by Christian Gudegast, “Den of Thieves 2” follows Butler’s Los Angeles police officer Big Nick as he tracks down Donnie (Jackson Jr.), a robber who’s planning a diamond heist. The cast includes Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Meadow Williams, Swem Temmel and more.

Also opening this weekend is Paramount’s “Better Man,” a musical biopic about singer Robbie Williams that reimagines Williams as a CGI monkey. It’s on track to make $2 million in its opening weekend.