Gerard Butler’s ‘Den of Thieves 2’ Aims for $12M Debut as 2025 Box Office Starts Slow

Will a gruff, globe-trotting cop and an anthropomorphic chimpanzee pop star be able to kick-start the box office in 2025?

The year’s first two new nationwide releases, Lionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” a heist thriller starring Gerard Butler as a caper-busting sheriff, and Paramount’s big-budget “Better Man,” a musical biopic in which a CGI- abe portrays British singer Robbie Williams, hoping to draw audiences to the big screen amid the post-holiday slumber. But wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles could affect movie showings in one of the largest theater markets in the country. Paramount canceled the LA premiere of “Better Man” due to fires and extreme winds.

The “Den of Thieves” sequel is aiming for $11 million to $13 million from 3,000 North American theaters over the weekend, while “Better Man” is expected to bring in $2 million from a slimmer screen of 1,200 venues. Sore…