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George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and more in one film? It has already happened. The 2001 filmOcean’s Eleven, directed by Steven Soderbergh, set the bar for heist films. Made on a budget of $85 million, it grossed $450 million worldwide.
One would think Hollywood actors would have jumped to do the film, but that wasn’t the case. In fact, plenty of big-name actors refused to come on board and later on regretted it. But who were these stars? George Clooney claims Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp are two of them.
George Clooney Exposed 2 Actors For RefusingOcean’s Eleven
Recently, George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh attended the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival and discussed their more than two-decade-old famed heist film,Ocean’s Eleven. During the conversation, Clooney talked about how A-list Hollywood stars likeJohnny Deppand Mark Wahlberg had rejected the film. Both were offered the role of Linus Caldwell. The role eventually went to Matt Damon.
Read More:“I was nervous about a first time director”: Denzel Washington Regretted Refusing Brad Pitt’s $327M Crime Thriller, Repeated Same Mistake That Landed George Clooney Oscar Nomination
Here’s how the conversation went:
George Clooney:“Steven had just done ‘Erin Brockovich’ and ‘Traffic,’ and he was nominated for directing both films. So, people really wanted to work with Steven.”
Steven Soderbergh:“That said, some people did say no to us.”
George Clooney:“They did. Some very famous people told us to fk right off. Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp. There were others. They regret it now. I regret doing fking Batman.”
It was reported that other actors who had turned down various roles in the film were Owen Wilson, Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, and Danny Glover. As for why Wahlberg and Depp regret turning down the role, it’s probably because not only was it a box office hit, but also received rave reviews from critics. The film went on to have two more sequels,Ocean’s Twelve(2004) andOcean’s Thirteen(2007).
Read More:Batman Star George Clooney Gave Himself Pancreatitis for $100M Movie – Made Only $3M at Box Office
Will There Be More Films Set In TheOcean’s ElevenUniverse?
At the TCM Classic Film Festival, Steven Soderbergh andGeorge Clooneytalked about the possibility of revisiting or even rebooting the heist series again. After all, 15 years have passed sinceOcean’s Thirteencame out in 2007. Soderbergh answered that he has been a part of multiple such conversations.
Read More:“Hollywood never takes risks anymore”: Johnny Depp Wanted to Star in Titanic Remake After Refusing $2.2B Movie That Went to Leonardo DiCaprio
The famed director also clarified thatOcean’s Eight(2018) was the result of such conversations. When Soderbergh was further prodded for more information, he refused to give a clear answer. Instead, he slowly said,“I’m… thinking… about… tomorrow.”While many were disappointed at the director for refusing to give a straightforward answer, others interpreted it as something else.
Some fans thought that his words meant that there are probably ongoing talks about the future of the franchise that he can’t really tell. After all, if nothing was going on, he probably would have come out and said it rather than stringing the audience along. But whether or not a reboot or continuation actually happens, remains to be seen.
Ocean’s Eleven,Ocean’s Twelve, andOcean’s Thirteenare streaming on Netflix.
Source:Entertainment Weekly
Ishita Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :750
Ishita is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 700 articles published. She has been working in the entertainment and pop-culture niche for more than 4 years. With a English Literature degree, Ishita generally covers news and analyses on Foundation, Ted Lasso, Severance, and more.A lifelong DC fan, Ishita spends her time watching and re-watching everything in the DC universe (yes, even including the Arrowverse shows).
