‘Den of Thieves 2’ Tops Box Office as ‘Better Man’ Flops

NEW YORK (AP) — Lionsgate’s heist thriller “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” claimed the top spot at the North American box office, debuting with $15.5 million from 3,008 theaters. The sequel to 2018’s “Den of Thieves” opened on the higher end of expectations, nearly matching its predecessor’s $15.2 million launch. The first film, also released in January, eventually grossed $80 million globally. The new installment, with a $40 million production budget, will need strong staying power to match that success.

Audiences responded more favorably than critics, giving the film a “B+” CinemaScore, while it holds a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Gerard Butler reprises his role as Big Nick, a gritty Los Angeles police officer, now chasing ex-marine-turned-robber Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) across Europe in a high-stakes diamond heist.

“These movies are made for audiences, not critics,” said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Gerard Butler is an established action star, and this kind of good-guys-versus-bad-guys material plays well around the world. Foreign business should be solid.”

Lionsgate, which typically mitigates risk by selling foreign rights, hopes “Den of Thieves 2” signals a rebound after a challenging 2023. The studio faced setbacks with underperforming releases like the “Borderlands” video game adaptation, “The Crow” reboot, and Halle Berry’s thriller “Never Let Go.” However, its 2025 slate looks promising, with projects like the “John Wick” spinoff “Ballerina,” “Saw XI,” and the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael.”

Meanwhile, Paramount’s musical biopic “Better Man,” featuring a CGI chimpanzee portraying British singer Robbie Williams, flopped with just $1 million from 1,291 venues. The film, directed by Michael Gracey of “The Greatest Showman,” explores Williams’ rise through the lens of a chimp, a creative choice that failed to resonate with audiences. Even in the U.K., where Williams is more well-known, the film earned a meager $1.9 million.

“Robbie Williams played by a digitally animated chimpanzee [is] an outlandish choice,” Gross said. “For anyone complaining that the industry plays it too safe, this is your movie. The risk-taking is excellent, but $110 million is not realistic for the genre and for this musical artist. $25 to $30 million would have made more sense.”

In contrast, A24’s historical epic “The Brutalist” impressed with $1.38 million from just 68 screens. The three-hour-30-minute film, which includes an intermission, recently won Golden Globes for best drama, best director (Brady Corbet), and best actor (Adrien Brody). It is set to expand nationwide later this month.

Overall, the weekend was predictably quiet for moviegoing, with Disney’s “Mufasa” and Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” rounding out the top three. “Mufasa” added $13.5 million, bringing its global total to $500 million, while “Sonic 3” crossed the $200 million mark domestically.