The Ocean’s franchise is still alive and well, with George Clooney revealing on Monday that Warner Bros. has confirmed a budget for Ocean’s 14, with filming slated to begin sometime next year. Clooney is expected to return as Danny Ocean, alongside longtime friends/collaborators Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan and Julia Roberts as Tess Ocean.
Among the major questions that remain about this sequel is who else will be returning aside from the main three stars, since there are so many characters throughout the original trilogy that could come back. It’s also quite possible that characters from the 2018 spin-off Ocean’s 8 could put in an appearance, including Sandra Bullock’s Debbie Ocean, Danny’s sister.
Plus, Clooney mentioned Matt Damon and Don Cheadle in his E! News interview, hinting that Damon’s Linus Caldwell and Cheadle’s Basher Tarr could return. He also told Uproxx in 2023 that the, “idea is kind of like Going In Style,” the 1979 film following three senior citizens who rob a bank, which could inform the cast.
Elliot Gould as Reuben Tishkoff
If they are leaning into the Going In Style angle, it would make sense to bring back 87-year-old Elliot Gould, especially since he has appeared in the original trilogy and the Ocean’s Eight spin-off. The original trilogy ended with the entire crew buying a property on the Las Vegas Strip so Reuben could build his own casino.
The thrust of Going In Style‘s plot was that these three senior citizens (George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg) were so bored in their retirement that they decided to rob a bank, despite having no criminal background. It’s possible that this sequel could follow that to an extent, with Danny and the rest of the crew growing bored with their millions and seeking more action.
Reuben could be just as bored with his successful new casino, and want in on the heist. It’s possible there are also some health issues at play with Reuben, and he wants to secure funds to set an heir up for life, or something along those lines. Regardless of how he’s utilized, Reuben would be a welcomed addition.
Andy Garcia as Terry Benedict
Andy Garcia’s Terry Benedict has had a unique arc throughout the Ocean’s franchise. He was the first target of Danny Ocean in 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, then he tracks them down and demands re-payment in 2004’s Ocean’s Twelve, and then he funds their next heist in 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen. His volatile relationship with Danny could be a part of the sequel.
Benedict also could be getting quite bored in his twilight years, and while neither Garcia (69), Clooney (64), Pitt (61) or Roberts (57) are quite at the age any of the characters were in Going In Style, it’s possible their wealth accrued in the original trilogy could have made them complacent enough to want to get back in action.
Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean
While it might not make sense to bring the entire Ocean’s Eight crew into Ocean’s 14, it would definitely make sense to bring Danny Ocean’s sister Debbie into the fray, mostly to clear up the fact that her brother is actually alive. Ocean’s Eight showed Debbie visiting Danny’s grave, which revealed that he pᴀssed away sometime in 2018.
Many speculated that the death was a hoax of some kind, which will certainly be addressed in Ocean’s 14. Besides, adding an A-lister like Sandra Bullock to a cast with so many other major stars could make it one of the most star-studded ensembles in Hollywood history.
It’s been 18 years since Ocean’s Thirteen, and there are two actors from the trilogy who have since pᴀssed away, who could be explored with two brand-new characters in Ocean’s 14, played by some rising stars.
Saul Bloom’s (Carl Reiner) Son – Alex Wolff
When Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan visited Saul Bloom at a Florida dog track to recruit him for Ocean’s Eleven, Saul mentioned that he was dating a woman who worked the unmentionables counter at Macy’s. The unidentified woman was never mentioned again in the trilogy, but perhaps he could have returned to Florida, invigorated from the heist, and produced a son.
Reiner pᴀssed away in 2020 at 98 years of age, and it would be a great tribute to the beloved actor to have Saul Bloom have a young son who tracks down the Ocean crew to follow in his old man’s footsteps. Wolff (who is also of Jewish descent like Reiner) could bring an injection of youth into Ocean’s crew.
Frank Catton’s (Bernie Mac) Son – Caleb McLaughlin
The personal lives of the Ocean’s crew are rarely discussed in the original trilogy, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t or can’t have children, especially if it means carrying on the legacy of a character portrayed by an actor who has since pᴀssed away. Bernie Mac played Frank Catton, a croupier who played integral roles in each heist.
Mac suddenly pᴀssed away from cardiac arrest at just 50 years of age in August 2008, just a year after Ocean’s Thirteen hit theaters. If Frank Catton from the Ocean’s trilogy were to have a son, I can’t imagine a better actor to play him than Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin.
With Clooney hinting that production will begin sometime next year, hopefully some of these returning cast members are confirmed, along with more story details for the highly-anticipated Ocean’s 14.
