‘Landman’ 2 star confirms he’s joining Brad Pitt for ‘Ocean’s 14’, and filming could start sooner than you think
Things are finally moving for the much-awaited 'Ocean's 14'. Andy Garcia, who plays the popular character Terry Benedict on the beloved franchise, recently revealed that he would reprise his role for the upcoming movie. As reported by TheWrap, Garcia was recently in attendance at a press conference while promoting the second season of Taylor Sheridan's 'Landman'. During the course of the conversation, he not only confirmed that he would be appearing on 'Ocean's 14', but also stated that the filming for the next instalment in the franchise would likely begin sometime in 2026.
Going into further details, Garcia also revealed that principal photography for the film was initially supposed to commence in January 2026. However, the schedule had to be postponed owing to co-star Brad Pitt's commitment to finishing the 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' sequel titled 'The Adventures of Cliff Booth' around the same window of time. As was previously reported by Variety magazine, Oscar winner George Clooney has taken up producing duties in addition to starring in the film. Clooney had first hinted at having a 'great script' for the upcoming movie back in 2023. Alongside Clooney, franchise regulars such as Don Cheadle and Julia Roberts are also anticipated to reprise their roles. Soderbergh has reportedly stepped back from directing as he feels his contribution to the franchise is over and that he would welcome newer talent.
In this connection, Clooney had previously commented, "We just got the budget approved at Warner Bros. and we’re trying to set up, it’s just scheduling, so it’s just setting a start date for us. Probably start in about nine or 10 months, shooting." He was then asked about the prospect of reuniting with Roberts and Pitt, to which he answered, "Yeah, Brad (Pitt), Matt (Damon), and Don (Cheadle), and Julia (Roberts). I had dinner last night with Julia. They’re all still really dear friends. And so, the chance to work together would be fun.”
The first entry in the franchise, i.e, 'Ocean's Eleven', was directed by Steven Soderbergh and was based on the 1960s original film of the same name that featured Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and the Rat Pack. Being a raging critical and commercial success, 'Ocean's Eleven' reinvigorated the heist movie genre and grossed more than $450 million worldwide at the box office.
This remarkable success led to the creation of two sequels, titled 'Ocean's Twelve' and 'Ocean's Thirteen' respectively. Although the two sequels could not match the box office success of the first film, with 'Ocean's Twelve' earning around $362 million and 'Ocean's Thirteen' grossing $311 million, they did establish a healthy franchise. A spinoff titled 'Ocean's Eight', featuring Sandra Bullock as Danny Ocean's sister, was released in 2018 and also included Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and Mindy Kaling.