Forget about the formerly rumored Edward Berger. The InSneider is hearing that not only is ‘Ocean’s 14’ happening, but that David Leitch (“Bullet Train”) is in talks to direct the sequel.
Sources say that George Clooney and Brad Pitt are coming back, which is no surprise since last year Clooney had hinted that he’d be reuniting with Pitt and the boys for an all-new ‘Oceans’ movie.
We have a really good script for another Oceans now, so we may end up doing another one. It’s actually a great script […] The idea is kind of like [1979’s] “Going In Style”
Okay, so what about “Going in Style”? A highly amusing ‘70s comedy, directed by Martin Brest, and starring George Burns and Art Carney. Brest’s film tackled pair of successful bank robbers who begin to realize that age is catching up to them. That seems to be the blueprint for “Ocean’s 14.”
Steven Soderbergh’s “Oceans 11” was an old-school heist flick with some of the biggest actors in the business. It spawned sequels and spin-offs, but none of them could capture the slick entertainment of Soderbergh’s original.
Why isn’t Soderbergh coming back? Because he doesn’t want to. Simple as that. Last year, Soderbergh confirmed his exit from the franchise, claiming that the series has “been there and done that” and that there was nothing left for him to add.
Soderbergh directed the first three instalments. The most commercially successful, and the best, of the ‘Oceans’ films is the 2001 original. The first sequel, 2004’s “Ocean's Twelve,” was a hot meta mess, with the final film, 2007’s “Ocean's Thirteen,” going back to the more commercial formula of the original.
Leitch is hot these days. He directed 2022’s “Bullet Train,” starring Pitt, and despite the disappointing box office, got strong reviews for 2024’s “The Fall Guy.”
Leitch specializes in thrills, and for the most part, had had a successful career in directing these high-octane action films. With the already-mentioned ‘Fall Guy,’ the stunt coordinator-turned-filmmaker has also helmed “John Wick,” “Atomic Blonde,” “Deadpool 2,” “Hobbs and Shaw,” and “Bullet Train.”