Sequel plans explained, stunts broken down

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains mild spoilers for “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” in theaters now.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. is a man of many interests, but he’s betting big on Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, in theaters now via Lionsgate.

The 2018 original, which pitted a group of bank robbers (including Jackson Jr.’s Donnie) against the police (led by Gerard Butler’s Big Nick), was a surprise hit. In the sequel, Big Nick along with Donnie and a new crew collapse during a globetrotting heist. Numerous shootouts and stunts ensue, with Butler and Jackson Jr.’s bromance holding things together.

Ultimately, Jackson Jr. sees these films as building blocks of a franchise that could stand alongside giants like the Fast & Furious saga. The actor spoke with diversity about the joy and fear of doing big stunts, what a “Thieves” series might look like, and why he hopes to expand his work into anime and video games.

There is so much action in this film. What tactical training did you undergo beforehand?

My trainer, Harley Pasternak, kicked my ass for a few weeks. When filming, you have to make sure that your chest, shoulders and arms are large. Afterwards there was of course tactical training, because for Christian Gudegast, our director, attention to detail is the be-all and end-all. Big Nick is in law enforcement and Donnie has a marine tattoo. These guys know what’s important in combat: simple things like lining up in formation and their actions aren’t wasted moves. Therefore, non-shooting days are usually spent perfecting your movements and posture while either holding your weapon or even simple things like positioning your seat. If you’re driving tactically, how far away would you be from the steering wheel, how would you have your mirrors and things like that? I think that’s what makes it such an authentic ride because it looks like we know what we’re doing.

Even with all that training, how much of your own stunt work were you able to do on this film?

“Capable” is such a weird way to put it, because God knows I didn’t want to (laughs). I remember getting the script and reading, “Okay, we’re going to be thrown into the sea. This will probably be a tank or a pool.” And no, we got on a boat and went 20 minutes out to sea. We were really shaken up. Another day we rappelled down from an elevator – something I never imagined doing in the future. Because of the attention to detail, it was even difficult to climb the ropes with bags full of goods or equipment. When you wear something made of plastic in front of the camera, it swings differently than something metal with real weight. So there were a lot of moments where I thought, “We can definitely cheat this.” But you do things in the movie that you wouldn’t normally do in real life. In the end, you’ll probably only gain skills for the zombie apocalypse. So it was safe and great fun, with great people who I know care about me: “Shae’s safety is the number one rule!” (laughs)

Was there a stunt or maneuver you were particularly proud of?

The car accident. We had to crash a Porsche Taycan, and with national treasures O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Gerard Butler, you don’t want to put them in one real Crash. So they had this hydraulic arm that they put the Porsche on. It was attached to an upside-down version of the claw used in toy machines. It is supposed to swing at a certain low speed and come to an abrupt stop to simulate a car accident.

We were doing one during rehearsals and Gerard, who’s a producer, looked at me and said, “It didn’t really feel like a car crash, did it?” Since I’m his buddy, I say, “No, that’s not that one.” Case.” So we say to the man operating the mechanism, “Hey, is there a way to turn it up a little?” The machine runs at pressure per square inch and he said, “I could turn it up… how about at five?” Me and Gerard look at each other and say: “Yeah, five sounds good.” Before we start, we look at each other and say: “We don’t know anything about PSI…” And then “Action!” and then it sounds. I hit my head, he hit his knee and it caused the cut.

In this film you will learn more about Donnie and Big Nick. How did you figure out who Donnie was beyond the script?

The beauty of our sequel is that we have a completely different dynamic than the first film. So while fans of the first part get the same characters, you also get different versions of those characters. When he came to Donnie, I knew the audience knew he was a guy who could come up with a plan to rob the Los Angeles Federal Reserve and get away scot-free. So it was about showing this chameleon that he is precise, absolutely measured and focused, because he knows one slip and it’s over. Instead of being the shy, insecure guy from the first part, I had to show the alpha that he could be one.

Typically, actors take the route of studying other performances or perhaps even reading books on the subject. I had watched a lot of videos of Kobe (Bryant) and Jon Jones. These are people who I know are so measured and absolutely serious in what they do. It’s exactly what you want from a leader when you see Jon Jones fighting in the middle of an Octagon. When you look at Kobe at that first clue, he’s locked in and doesn’t blink. You know the mamba’s fangs are out. That’s what I had to do for this new version of Donnie until Gerard Butler, as always, puts a stop to my plans.

By the end of the film, things seem wide open for Den of Thieves 3. As an actor and producer of this film, how would your character and the franchise evolve from here?

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: I’m trying to make this thing Vin Diesel. To quote Ryan Reynolds: I want to work with Gerard until he’s 90. I’m just having so much fun doing it, and Christian, Gerard, (producer) Tucker Tooley… I can’t tell them enough how I really feel because that’s just not what guys do, but I’ll tell you . When I was starting out in my career, after Straight Outta Compton, I didn’t work for a year. That was because there was a saying against me: “Of course he can play his father.” Christian, Tucker and Gerard were targeting me. They came and believed in me when other places didn’t even offer me scripts. I feel so much family with these guys. I know how much I want to make these other films, but we can’t cheapen this beautiful thing we did. It took six or seven years to finish. I hope this isn’t the case with the next one. Deep in our 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.

Beyond Thieves, you’ve done drama, comedy and Star Wars, fighting both Godzilla and Cocaine Bear. What other projects would you like to tackle?

I’ve been trying to get a Godzilla anime going for a while now. I really want to get into voiceover work. Video games are my biggest love, so I want to work on video games in some form, be it mocap, voiceover, or whatever. But right now I think I’ll go back to India. I always told my team that whatever we do, the next has to be day and night after the last. I am not an actor who is afraid of India because of Ingrid Goes West and Just Mercy. The indie route is where you sharpen your blade as an actor. I also have a wrestling podcast, “No-Contest Wrestling,” on the Rich Eisen Podcast Network. The people at WWE were kind enough to let us have Superstars available for interviews. And as a father, I also watch “Bluey” every day.

Check out the trailer for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera below.