Ocean’s 14: Conclave director Edward Berger almost directed a sequel
Warner Bros. seems keen on relaunching the Ocean’s franchise but hasn’t quite figured out how to do it. Back in 2018, they released the female-focused spin-off Ocean’s 8, which actually killed off George Clooney’s Danny Ocean and ended up being the second-highest-grossing installment of the franchise, earning $140 million domestically and $297 million internationally—solid numbers, all things considered. Yet a sequel to that movie never materialized, likely because Sandra Bullock has become very choosy about which projects she takes on (her box office draw was seen as a big factor in Ocean’s 8’s success). For a while, it even looked like Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie would star in a prequel about Danny Ocean’s parents.
But despite—or perhaps because of—the massive success of their pairing in Barbie, that project was eventually put on the back burner as both stars turned their attention to other films. Recently, there’s been talk that George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts could reunite for Ocean’s 14, with Conclave director Edward Berger stepping in for Steven Soderbergh. However, in a recent interview with Deadline, Berger revealed he came close to signing on before ultimately stepping away after realizing he’d be treading too closely in Soderbergh’s creative territory.
“Everyone needs the movie. It’s a franchise. I can pay my crew. I can have fun with them. It’s a temptation. But deep down inside I knew it’s not my movie; it’s Steven Soderbergh’s movie. He invented that, beautifully. He made them, and I’m just following in his footsteps. What is new for me? I love those movies, but in essence, I don’t know what to add to what the great Steven Soderbergh did.”
Berger admits part of the appeal was that it would have been a big studio project, one that could reward the crew who worked with him on Conclave and The Ballad of a Small Player (which premieres at TIFF in a few weeks). Even though he declined, Berger has stayed on good terms with the stars. He’s currently set to direct Matt Damon in a new Bourne Identity film (now that Universal officially has the rights) and will also direct Brad Pitt in A24’s The Riders, which is expected to be the star’s next film once he wraps The Continuing Adventures of Cliff Booth.
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