Well here’s some unexpected news: Den of Thieves 2 is happening. The heist thriller opened in theaters about a month ago and apparently overperformed, as Deadline reports that a Den of Thieves sequel is materializing with Gerard Butler and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson returning and O’Shea Jackson Jr. in negotiations to reprise his role as well. Writer/director Christian Gudegast is also returning, writing the script for the sequel based on an original idea, as are producers Tucker Tooley, Mark Canton, and Alan Siegel. Diamond Film Productions is financing and STX will handle worldwide distribution.

The story of Den of Thieves 2 will find Butler’s character Big Nick on the hunt in the streets of Europe, as he’s closing in on Jackson Jr.’s character Donnie. They plot a massive heist of the world’s biggest diamond exchange.

The original film took 15 years to bring to the screen and has thus far grossed $57 million worldwide. While that may not sound like much, especially for a film that cost $30 million to make before marketing, the film is performing well internationally and still has about 35 markets to go in its worldwide rollout. Moreover, Deadline reports that roughly 60% of the budget was already covered by pre-sales, and a tax initiative brought that number to 70%—so really the money it’s making in release is almost all gravy.

It appears poor reviews didn’t deter audience-goers, and the team behind Den of Thieves is unconcerned. So here comes Den of Thieves 2, ready or not.

via Collider