Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. on ‘Hairpin Turns’ and High Anxiety of ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’

Six years ago this month, writer/director Christian Gudegast’s heist film “Den of Thieves” opened and quickly captured audiences’ attention with its kinetic action sequences and infectiously energetic performances by Gerard Butler, “50 Cent” and O’Shea Jackson Jr. , all of whom have a great time chewing the scenery in a script full of clever twists. The film’s praises were sung by no less an esteemed filmmaker than “Afire” director Christian Petzold, who chose “Den of Thieves” as one of the best films of the last 10 years for a film in the Lincoln Center Repertory Series.

Now Butler and Jackson are back in “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” and Petzold and other fans of the original will be happy to hear that the sequel is even better than the original: faster, funnier and filled with spectacular action set pieces, like Gudegast shot on a fast schedule.

For Butler and Jackson…