The action film Den of Thieves 2: Pantera concluded its theatrical run with over $50 million at the worldwide box office and more than $35 million domestically. Produced on a reported budget of $40 million, the movie can be counted as a modest hit, seeing as its real audience is waiting to watch it at home. But in addition to sending the franchise’s cumulative global haul past the $130 million mark, the movie also earned a couple of new feathers for star Gerard Butler’s cap. Butler is now among the top 150 highest-grossing leading stars in history, having overtaken a handful of legends along the way.
Butler’s films have grossed a cumulative total of $3.25 billion at the worldwide box office, which puts him ahead of Tom Hardy, Jamie Foxx and Tobey Maguire. This is a considerable achievement for the star, who hasn’t appeared in a superhero franchise like the other three. Hardy most recently led Venom: The Last Dance to over $470 million worldwide, while Foxx and Maguire appeared in the landmark blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home, which grossed over $1.9 billion worldwide a few years ago. Butler’s biggest franchise remains How to Train Your Dragon, but the star has a more prominent participation in the Has Fallen action series, which has generated over $500 million worldwide.
Butler broke out with a leading role in The Phantom of the Opera, followed by a star-making turn in Zack Snyder’s 300. Since then, he has headlined films across a variety of genres, such as romantic comedy and gung-ho action. The Den of Thieves movies fall in the latter category, as do the Has Fallen movies. Both franchises are set to receive new installments. Butler’s biggest hit remains How to Train Your Dragon 2, which made over $600 million worldwide. 300 made over $450 million globally, while Geostorm and The Ugly Truth have grossed over $200 million globally, each.
Butler Is Just As Comfortable in Romantic Comedies As He Is in Action Films
Several of Butler’s films, such as London Has Fallen, Olympus Has Fallen, and Angel Has Fallen, along with P.S. I Love You, The Bounty Hunter and Law Abiding Citizen, have grossed over $100 million globally. Incidentally, he starred alongside Foxx in Law Abiding Citizen, which has contributed $133 million to each of their career totals. Butler will reprise his role as Stoick the Vast in the upcoming live-action remake of the first How to Train Your Dragon. You can watch Den of Thieves 2 at home, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.