I am more skeptical about Ocean’s 14 after George Clooney hinted at a major character death. Even though it has been 17 years since Ocean’s Thirteen was released, discussions of a sequel publicly reignited in 2023 when Clooney commented on an Ocean’s 14 script in the works. This was followed in 2024 with reports of Clooney and Brad Pitt being in talks to reprise their respective roles as Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan from the previous Ocean’s films they starred in.
While revealing that there is “a really good script, and everybody’s read it and ready to do it,”Clooney also teased an Ocean’s 14 character’s death. He further hinted that this is a death that Pitt “actually liked” when he read the script and that it is someone Pitt finds to be funny, meaning the deceased will likely be an already established character who has worked with Danny and Rusty in the past. Even though this arguably raises the stakes and creates further anticipation for the long-awaited sequel, this possible character’s death makes me hesitant about Ocean’s 14.
Ocean’s 14 Killing A Main Character Eliminates The Main Appeal
The Sequel’s Primary Selling Point Is Reuniting Its Cast
The main appeal of Ocean’s 14 is seeing as much of the star-studded cast as possible reunited for another heist. The entertaining group and individual dynamics are largely what made Clooney’s previous Ocean’s movies so much fun to watch. A complete reunion is already impossible due to Bernie Mac passing away in 2008 and Carl Reiner passing away in 2020, meaning the iconic crew will sadly not include their characters, Frank Catton and Saul Bloom.
Without Mac, Reiner, and the actor playing the character who will die, the crew is already missing three of its most important characters, which lessens the appeal of seeing the group reunited, as their dynamics will be fundamentally different.
Frank and Saul’s absences are going to be even more difficult to accept if another member of the group is killed as part of the story for Ocean’s 14. Since Clooney has already confirmed an important death, the character may die early in the film, as he is less likely to have mentioned if it is a major plot twist that happens later in the narrative. Without Mac, Reiner, and the actor playing the character who will supposedly die, the crew is already missing three important characters, which lessens the appeal of seeing the group reunited, as their dynamics will be fundamentally different.
Ocean’s 14 Killing A Major Character Is The Wrong Decision
This Isn’t A Franchise That Revolves Around Major Character Deaths
While Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen added members to the group performing the heist, the sequels did not kill off any original members. Ocean’s 14 already has to adapt to the real-life deaths of Mac and Reiner, but killing a character in the story is a step too far. The previous Ocean’s movies never took themselves too seriously and were ultimately fun heist adventures. I fear that a major character death will alter the tone of the series for the worse and force Ocean’s 14′s cast to be too different from the other movies.
Ocean’s 14 could kill a character who was not an original member of the crew in Ocean’s Eleven and who joined in the sequels, including Andy Garcia’s Terry Benedict. Losing him would not be as painful as losing Don Cheadle’s Basher Tarr or Elliot Gould’s Reuben Tishkoff, although it would still have some emotional impact. I may have to accept that after 17 years, the Ocean’s 14 roster will look significantly different, but I am still wary of the decision to kill a prominent character.
Ocean’s
Based on the original 1960 film Ocean’s Eleven, The Ocean’s franchise reimagines and expands the classic heist film. The series centers on Danny Ocean and later his sister, Deborah Ocean, master thieves taught by their parents to pull off elaborate heists against the rich. Each film maintains the majority of the cast, as the Ocean siblings gather together teams of talented individuals who bring unique skills to each film’s extraordinary heist.
- Cast
- George Clooney , Brad Pitt , Matt Damon , Andy Garcia , Julia Roberts , Don Cheadle , Casey Affleck , Scott Caan , Elliott Gould , Bernie Mac , Eddie Jemison , Carl Reiner , Qin Shaobo , Sandra Bullock , Cate Blanchett , Helena Bonham Carter , Anne Hathaway , Rihanna
