After departing the Point Break remake, it looks like Gerard Butler has found his next project. Coming out of Cannes today is news that Relativity has brought him on board to lead their heist drama, Den of Thieves. Directing off his own script (which he co-wrote with Paul Scheuring) will be Christian Gudegast. The name might not sound familiar, as he doesn’t have too many credits under his belt, but Gudegast is one of the writers on the upcoming sequel London Has Fallen, which Butler stars in.
Currently being shopped around at Cannes, Den of Thieves is set to follow a “legendary bank heist crew” who attempt to break into and rob the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles. I imagine that Butler will play one of the thieves, but at this time, nothing has been confirmed. For all we know, he may very well end up on the other side of the law, and play what I presume would be a cop tasked with stopping the robbery and/or tracking the thieves down.
While I’m not expecting Den of Thieves to break new ground in the heist genre, it certainly sounds like it could be a fun and perfectly harmless ride. Butler is generally quite charismatic and likeable on screen, and his involvement in the film should help the producers bag a couple other decent talents as well.
The only unknown here seems to be Gudegast, who will be making his directorial debut. He doesn’t have too much experience, as his IMDB resume will show, but I’m hopeful that he can pump out something fresh and exciting, rather than just giving us another recycled and cliched heist thriller.
With the film now being shopped at Cannes, I’d expect to hear more on Den of Thieves shortly. As soon as further updates arise, we’ll be sure to let you know.