Gerard Butler has carved out a career in big, explosive, shameless action flicks, and now the actor has confirmed that sequels are being developed for both the continuation of theFallen franchise, and for 2018’s gritty crime thrillerDen of Thieves. Discussing the hero of theFallenmovies, Mike Banning, Butler jovially stated the importance of this type of righteous action hero.
“I think with everything going on, we need him. He needs to come back.”
Butler continued, revealing thatFallen 4is currently in the works. “Yeah, I think you will be seeing another,” he said. “We’re toying away with another really fantastic idea that we’re working on at the moment that obviously we can’t say too much about.”
TheFallenfranchise began back in 2013 withOlympus Has Fallen, which foundGerard Butleras gruff, no-nonsense former secret service agent Mike Banning trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack. Working with national security, Banning must put his skills to the test and become a one-man army in order to rescue the President from his kidnappers.
Following a stint of punching, shooting and general mayhem inLondon Has Fallen, the third movie,Angel Has Fallen, foundMike Banningon the wrong side of the law and taken into custody for the failed assassination attempt of U.S. President Allan Trumbull. After escaping from his captors, Banning must evade the FBI and his own agency to find the real threat to the president. Desperate to uncover the truth, he soon turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name and save the country from imminent danger.
Aside from his return as Banning, in which he will likely travel to a different country and blow everything up, Butler also revealed the return of an even gruffer character of his, that of Detective Nicholas “Big Nick” O’Brien, the gritty hero ofDen of Thieves. Yes, we’re gettingDen of Thieves 2.
“We’re working on that script at the moment, and I’m getting pages daily from Christian. It’s a fun ride, spreading across North America into Europe and the diamond district of Marseilles. It’s very cool and has a more European vibe this time. All the fun characters, Big Nick, Donnie, and Lobbin' Bob [Jordan Bridges], will be back. And I’m really excited about it.”
Director Christian Gudegast’sDen of Thievesfollows Butler’s Nick O’Brien, the hard-drinking, hard-fighting leader of the Regulators, an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Ray Merrimen is the recently paroled leader of the Outlaws, a gang of ex-military men who use their expertise and tactical skills to evade the law. O’Brien, Merrimen, and their crews soon find themselves on a direct collision course as the criminals hatch an elaborate plan for a seemingly impossible heist involving the city’s Federal Reserve Bank. The movie featured a memorable turn from Butler, as well as Pablo Schreiber, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and O’Shea Jackson Jr, and the sequel sounds like an interesting change of pace whilst maintaining what made the first movie such a success with audiences.
Before he goes back to chasing bad guys though, Butler will be outrunning the apocalypse in the upcomingGreenlandwhich hits theaters on August 14. This news comes to us courtesy ofEntertainment Weekly.
