A semi-exclusive before we fully enter the winter break (and yes, I knew the original story some time ago, but I’m admittedly bad at breaking news). As you’ve likely heard by now, George Clooney says he has a script for “Ocean’s 14” that he is excited about. That’s got the internet all excited about the prospect of the ‘Ocean franchise’ movie going forward. Great (and if you remember, Don Cheadle was actually the first to give us a hint about all this back in 2021, though some of his intel was wrong).
But let’s take a closer look at the details of everything, things sources told us months ago and are now time to unpack (it’s almost Christmas, right?). And file under hot goss if you like and take it with a pinch of salt if that makes you feel better.
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First off, yes, Clooney loves the script; he ought to. He and his longtime Smokehouse Pictures producing partner Grant Heslov wrote it together. Heslov has produced pretty much every movie Clooney has ever starred in since 2003, and Smokehouse began in 2006. Heslov also co-wrote with Clooney “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “The Ides of March,” (also co-written with Beau Willimon based on his play), “The Monuments Men,” and “Suburbicon.”
But the rub is, who will direct? Apparently, Steven Soderbergh isn’t an option, and he doesn’t want to do it out of respect for Bernie Mac’s passing.
“With Bernie Mac being gone, I don’t think any of us would want to return to that,” Soderbergh said in 2008, the same year Mac passed away. “I was done [anyway],” Soderbergh confessed at the time, noting his chance to experiment in mainstream filmmaking. “I got to play on those movies visually in a way that I don’t normally.”
And apparently, his feelings haven’t changed on the matter, and that’s that (let’s not forget Carl Reiner has since passed, too, and the film’s legendarily beloved producer Jerry Weintraub, see below; the original eleven gang is now down to nine).
What I’d heard at the time— before “The Flash” came out, mind you— was that Clooney was pleased with the script, wanted to make it, but was trying to convince Warner Bros. to make it.
He and Heslov did engage Soderbergh again, a while ago, to see if he was interested, and the intel suggests that he didn’t even want to read a script— politely, to keep himself out of the mix and stay faithful to his original, ‘No Mac, No, No Oceans for me,’ but gave his blessing.
This part may be a bit more of my conjecture and speculation, but this intel popped up around the time early rumors about “The Flash”/other Batman surfaced. And I can’t help but wonder if Clooney appeared in the Warner Bros.’ superhero film to appease the studio—who were debating making their script—and show the studio he’s a team player who will help them out in a pinch (and maybe, hey, while you’re at it, “greenlight my Ocean’s 14” script, right?”). Rumors already suggest that “The Flash” people had already reached out to Christian Bale and got rejected (true); Clooney undoubtedly knew this through his agents, and hey, playing nice goes far, right?
So, who will direct it? Clooney could, obviously; he’s directed several excellent movies (and is even an Oscar nominee for directing —“Good Night and Good Luck”— and a two-time Oscar nominee for writing). But Soderbergh was their initial thought, and helming an ‘Ocean’s’ film while starring in it—traditionally, they are very technically adept, challenging, and visually dazzling—might be something the actor/director may want to leave to someone else while he focuses on charming alongside Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and company—presuming they all sign on to appear in it (but it ain’t really an “Ocean’s’ film without the original gang, right?).
Another complication of whether it gets made or not. A younger, sexier version is in the wings and is incoming. Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie, two of the hottest stars on the planet, are already planning to star in an “Ocean’s” prequel. I don’t know about you, but if I were 62 years old and were planning on making a fourth film installment to a beloved franchise, I’d want to get to it first before the two hottest stars on the planet did their version, but hey, maybe that’s just me. And given the blockbuster success of “Barbie,” if I were Warners, I’d want to fast-track that too, given if we ever get a “Barbie” sequel, it’s likely not coming any time soon (Gerwig is busy for the next few years). Not trying to be ageist; love Clooney, who doesn’t? He’s a mensch, one of the few stand-up guys in Hollywood, but that could potentially be an issue, right? As always, let’s see what happens.