‘Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera’ Rounds Out Cast With 11 Additions

EXCLUSIVE: Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has rounded out its cast, bringing on 11 international talents to star opposite the returning Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. The list includes Salvatore Esposito (Gomorrah), Orli Shuka (Gangs of London), Evin Ahmad (Who Is Erin Carter?), Cristian Solimeno (The Glass Man), Nazmiye Oral (Propaganda), Yasen Zates Atour (The Witcher), Giuseppe Schillaci (Romulus), Dino Kelly (Peaky Blinders), Rico Verhoeven (Black Lotus), Velibor Topic (Outside the Wire) and Antonio Bustorff (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One).

Wrapping principal photography on July 5th — a little more than a week prior to the launch of the SAG-AFTRA strike — Pantera marks the sequel to Den of Thieves, the action thriller from writer-director Christian Gudegast which grossed nearly $45M stateside and more than $80M WW via STX in 2018. The original film watches as a group from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, led by Detective Nick “Big Nick” O’Brien (Butler), looks to thwart a gang of thieves, consisting of ex-Marines (including Jackson’s Donnie Wilson), who are prepping to rob the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles.

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In the new film, also written and directed by Gudegast, Big Nick is back on the hunt on the mean streets of Europe, closing in on Donnie, who is embroiled in the dangerous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s biggest diamond exchange.

Pic is produced by Tucker Tooley of Tucker Tooley Entertainment, Butler and Alan Siegel of G-BASE, and Mark Canton. Greg Renker and Philip Waley serve as executive producers. Tucker Tooley Entertainment and Entertainment One financed the film, and Briarcliff Entertainment will handle the U.S. distribution.

Best known for starring in the Italian crime drama Gomorrah, as well as the fourth season of Fargo, Esposito has also appeared in films including Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot, Zeta, Veleno and Puoi Baciare Lo Sposo.

Shuka has been seen on the series Gangs of London and Save Me, as well as the feature thriller Hyena, with Ahmad appearing in Netflix’s forthcoming Who Is Erin Carter? and the dramedy Call Mom!.

Solimeno is known for roles in the films Love and The Glass Man, which he wrote and directed, as well as the series Footballers’ Wives, whereas Oral’s credits include In Vrijheid, Flikken Maastricht and Propaganda.

Atour has appeared in Small City, All the Devil’s Men, Robin Hood, The Witcher and Young Wallander, among other projects, whereas Schillaci is best known for his work in the series Romuls and with Den of Thieves 2 makes his feature debut.

Kelly has held roles in Peaky Blinders, The Good Liar and Invasion, with well known Kickboxing champion Verhoeven appearing in the films Black Lotus, Bon Bini Holland 3 and Kickboxer: Retaliation.

Topic’s credits include Snatch, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood, The Counselor, Kingsman: The Secret Service and British TV dramas like Sharpe’s Peril, The Bill, Prime Suspect and Ambassadors. Among those for martial artist Bustorff are Angel Has Fallen, Behind the Line: Escape to Dunkirk and Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Esposito is repped by UTA and Definition Entertainment; Shuka by Felix de Wolfe in the UK; Ahmad by Verve and Agentfirman Planthaber/Kildén/Mandic in Sweden; Solimeno by Buchwald, the UK’s Creative Artists Management and Koopman Management; Oral by Favor Talents in The Netherlands; Atour by Olivia Bell Management in the UK; Schillaci by Lucia del Rio Management in Spain and Moviement in Italy; Kelly by Denton Brierley in the UK, Bond Artist Management and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Verhoeven by SeiSei; Topic by Lou Coulson Associates in the UK; and Bustorff by Reflections Talent Agency in the UK.

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