If Christian Gudegast’s 2018 L.A. bank heist movie Den of Thieves was an affectionate love letter to Michael Mann’s Heat, then Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is overtly inspired by another must-see ’90s Robert De Niro actioner. Indeed, traveling abroad for Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) to exact a risky diamond heist in London in the cinematic sequel, it’s hard to miss the elegant European flourishes of John Frankenheimer’s Ronin.
Although Gudegast has cited several additional classic European crime movies from the halcyon days of the French New Wave, the writer/director insists that Ronin has more influence on Den of Thieves: Pantera than any other. If nothing else, Den of Thieves fans should come away with a much better appreciation of the deliberate direction Gudegast has taken the franchise and seek out Ronin to see how the two European-set crime films compare.
‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’s Premise, Explained
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Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
- Release Date
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January 10, 2025
- Cast
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Gerard Butler
, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
, Meadow Williams
, Jordan Bridges
, Evin Ahmad
, Swen Temmel
, Bob Jennings
, Michael Bisping
, Salvatore Esposito
, Orli Shuka
, Cristian Solimeno
, Nazmiye Oral
, Yasen Zates Atour
, Dino Kelly
, Rico Verhoeven
, Velibor Topic
, Antonio Bustorff
, Yuri D. Brown
, Birol Tarkan Yıldız
, John West Jr
, Ciryl Gane
, Mark Grosy
, Ignacio Herráez
, Stéphane Coulon
Released in 2018, the original Den of Thieves traced the intense rivalry between L.A. bank robbers, The Outlaws, and an L.A.P.D. Special Crimes Unit called The Regulators. Led by maverick investigator Big Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler), The Regulators bend the law and do whatever is necessary to catch The Outlaws, who seek to steal $30 million in non-circulated bills from the Federal Reserve Building.
With both sides of the law on a deadly collision course, Den of Thieves 2 ends with a breathless shootout reminiscent of Michael Mann’s classic 1995 L.A. bank heist movie Heat. The movie famously starred Robert De Niro as the lead bank robber, with Al Pacino playing the lead L.A.P.D. detective on his tail. For Den of Thieves 2, Gudegast found inspiration for an equally riveting yet lesser-known ’90s De Niro action movie, with Ronin providing the blueprint for depicting a mysterious American loner in Europe.
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Den of Thieves ends with Big Nick discovering that a low-level Outlaw member named Donnie Wilson is, in fact, the mastermind behind the L.A. Federal Reserve heist. Nick learns that Donnie has fled the U.S. for London, where he intends to pull off an elaborate diamond heist. The subtitle Pantera refers to the Pink Panthers Diamond syndicate, jewel thieves behind the infamous 2003 Antwerp diamond heist, further inspiring the plot. Yet past the plot, the tone, tenor, pacing, aura, and existential philosophy are influenced by Frankenheimer’s Ronin.
How ‘Ronin’ Inspired ‘Den of Thieves 2’
Promoting Pantera with Slash Film, Gudegast addressed the biggest cinematic inspirations behind the film, stating:
“It was really, ‘Ronin’ was a big influence. ‘Gomorrah, ‘Suburra,’ and then a lot of the old French New Wave like Melville and ‘Le Cercle Rouge’ and ‘Rififi’ and ‘Borsalino,’ and all those great movies. I mean, I’ve seen most of the old-school classics. More the energy and vibe of certain films. ‘Ronin’ was a big one, again, an American character in Europe and sort of a blend between American and European cinema, right? But there was no specific homage, no.”
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Written by David Mamet and J.D. Zeik, Ronin stars De Niro as Sam (short for “Samurai,” “Ronin” in Japanese), a lone wolf American intelligence analyst hired to locate a mysterious briefcase whose unknown contents are sought after by rival Irish and Russian mobsters. With a languid pace, a challenging plot requiring the utmost attention, and intriguing character development that takes its time to unfold, Ronin has a distinctly European flair that Gudegast deliberately channeled for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.
Why ‘Ronin’ Is a Must-See Heist Film
Whereas Heat is a hard-boiled American action movie featuring De Niro as an unsentimental and unsympathetic villain with little redeeming value, Ronin stars the all-time great Oscar winner as a morally complex character conflicted about his assignment. The film was hailed for its character development, impeccable craft, intense car chases, and visceral action scenes. Despite underperforming at the box office, the film holds up well in 2025 and should be seen by Den of Thieves fans.
In Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Big Nick struggles with similar ethical quandaries that Sam does in Ronin, resulting in a more cerebral and contemplative performance that reinforces the European qualities that Gudegast was aiming for. Past the central performance, the London setting, ambiguous tenor, slow-burning tempo, and “stranger in a strange land” dynamic make Pantera and Ronin simpatico. The latter is a must-watch cult classic that ranks as Frankenheimer’s last great movie and one of De Niro’s greatest ’90s performances. Ronin is available to stream on The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is in theaters now.
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