After hitting #1 at the box office, Den of Thieves 2 star O'Shea Jackson Jr. evokes Deadpool and Wolverine and says he wants to "work with Gerard Butler until he's 90"

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Jackson wants to turn Den of Thieves into a Fast and Furious-style franchise

Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in Den of Thieves 2
(Image credit: Lionsgate)

After hitting the top of the box office, Den of Thieves 2 star O'Shea Jackson has opened up about his dream of putting the pedal to the metal and turning it into a Fast and Furious-style major action franchise.

"I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: I’m trying to Vin Diesel this thing," Jackson – who plays wheelman and thief Donnie Wilson in both Den of Thieves movies – told Variety. "To quote Ryan Reynolds [in Deadpool and Wolverine], I want to work with Gerard [Butler] until he’s 90."

With the movie leaving things very much open for a sequel and Jackson being keen on a follow-up, Den of Thieves 3 looks like a seeming certainty – except the Donnie Wilson actor doesn't want a sequel for sequel's sake.

"I know how much I want to do these other films, but we cannot cheapen this beautiful thing that we made," Jackson said. "This one took six or seven years to get done [Den of Thieves was released in 2018]. I hope the next one doesn’t. In our heart of hearts, we won’t make it if it’s not right and if it’s not the same thing that made audiences fall in love with the franchise in the first place."

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.