The earliest announcement of Ocean’s 14 has already confirmed that the Ocean’s franchise reboot will feel different from its predecessors thanks to a behind-the-scenes change. The Ocean’s 11 movies have a fairly cohesive tone outside 1960’s original heist caper. That Rat Pack vehicle is a charming piece of vintage crime comedy, but 2001’s Ocean’s 11, 2005’s Ocean’s 12, and 2007’s Ocean’s 13 feel of a piece with each other in a way that transcends their shared cast. There’s a reason 2018’s otherwise enjoyable reboot, Ocean’s 8, doesn’t quite recapture this tone.

The Ocean’s trilogy was directed by Steven Soderbergh, a mercurial director whose screen oeuvre saw him bounce between ambitious experimental efforts and slick Hollywood fare throughout his multi-decade career. Soderbergh has directed major mainstream hits like Out of Sight, Contagion, Magic Mike, and Traffic, but he has also worked on experimental movies like Full Frontal, Bubble, and 2018’s Unsane. The Ocean’s 11 franchise marries Soderbergh’s Hollywood instincts with the director’s unpredictable edge, resulting in some surprising scenes like the moment in Ocean’s 12 where Julie Roberts’ character has to imitate the real-life Julia Roberts.

Ocean’s 14 Will Be The First In The Main Franchise Not To Be Directed By Steven Soderbergh

Soderbergh’s Direction Shaped The Style And Tone Of Ocean’s 11, 12, and 13

Few mainstream blockbuster directors have the same verve as Soderbergh, and Ocean’s 8 went with a more reliable option when the studio hired director Gary Ross. The director of Seabiscuit and The Hunger Games, Ross was an impressive talent who didn’t share Soderbergh’s more outre creative choices. Similarly, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline recently reported that the upcoming franchise reboot Ocean’s 14 is considering director David Leitch, who left Jurᴀssic World: Rebirth early in its production process.

Leitch is best known as an action director, having helmed 2017’s Charlize Theron vehicle Atomic Blonde, 2018’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool 2, 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw, and 2022’s Bullet Train. Although his latest release, 2024’s The Fall Guy, was an unexpected flop, Leitch remains a reliably popular action director whose work melds bone-crunching fights and awe-inspiring stunts with charming character comedy. That said, Leitch is an interesting choice for Ocean’s 14 precisely because of how much his style differs from Soderbergh’s approach. Even Soderbergh’s mainstream movies are filled with split screens, anachronic storytelling, meta moments, and other formal experimentation.

David Leitch Directing Ocean’s 14 Means It Might Have Way More Action Than The First 3

Leitch’s Screen CV Includes Action-Forward Efforts Like Bullet Train and ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool 2

In contrast, Leitch’s work has the smooth sheen of a director who began his career as a stunt double, progressed to stunt coordination, and eventually ended up working on the uber-slick John Wick movies. Leitch’s Ocean’s 14 is likely to have more explosive action than Soderbergh’s surprisingly talky blockbusters, and the director will likely bring his slick, ultra-polished visual aesthetic to the franchise. This will inevitably change its tone.

While the Ocean’s 11 prequel starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie was always likely to change the tone of the series, it will still be striking to see Leitch put his mark on the franchise. Ocean’s 14 is likely to utilize the same starry cast as the original trilogy outside the late Bernie Mac and Carl Reiner, so it could be jarring to see the same characters played by the same actors but moved by the vision of a very different director. However, Leitch’s work to date suggests Ocean’s 14 and its revival of the Ocean’s franchise are in capable hands.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline