Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11 was a remarkable commercial and critical victory, setting a distinguished standard for the trilogy that it would later come to spawn. And while the audience naturally had a gala time watching the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt execute a phenomenal heist in Sin City, the actors probably had tenfold more fun while filming the whole thing.
Unfortunately enough for Sandra Bullock and her Ocean’s 8 gang, however, they didn’t have a goldmine of memories off-the-camera to share as opposed to their co-stars from the previous films, who, simply put, had the time of their lives. But then again, being fed charcuterie by Helena Bonham Carter seems to hold just as much of a charm, if not more, as do drunken ventures to the Bellagio.
Ocean’s 11 – George Clooney & His Pals Went Wild in Sin City
Adapted from Frank Sinatra’s 1960 heist film of the same name, Ocean’s 11 is a contemporary remake starring George Clooney as Danny Ocean, the shrewd ringleader of a crew of eleven people who plan on robbing his arch-nemesis, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Starring Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts, alongside Clooney and Garcia, the 2001 film went on to become a box-office smash, amassing $450 million globally, whilst simultaneously getting in the good books of critics.
Since Clooney and his accomplices steal from three Las Vegas casinos, the movie was primarily shot in the city’s most renowned destination, the Bellagio Hotel & Casino. And thanks to Ocean 11‘s producer, Jerry Weintraub, who had an in with the hotel’s owner, the cast and crew members were able to indulge in pretty much anything they wanted. This involved endless trips to the blackjack tables and having an entire keg of Guinness lodged in the Batman & Robin star’s room.
It didn’t matter that Clooney couldn’t gamble to save his life – Damon was baffled to witness his co-star lose at blackjack 25 times in a row – he and his pals still relished every second they spent in Sin City. The ensemble cast of Ocean’s 8, however, can’t say the same for themselves.
Ocean’s 8 – Sandra Bullock’s Experience Was Much Less Thrilling
Serving as a spin-off of Sodenbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy, Ocean’s 8 stars Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, Danny Ocean’s sister, who plans a tremendous Met Gala theft along with seven other women. Bullock leads the film along with Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, and the like.
While the star cast of Ocean’s 11 thoroughly enjoyed themselves with all their inebriated adventures and gambling shenanigans in Vegas, Bullock and her co-stars couldn’t revel in such luxuries. “He just wanted us to have as good a time as they had,” the Academy Award-winning actress said of Clooney who’d asked her to let loose and have as much fun as she could. But the Miss Congeniality star didn’t have that privilege because, for starters, Manhattan wasn’t nearly as glamorous and wild as Gluttony Central where Ocean’s 11 was filmed. Not to mention, Bullock wasn’t hitting it solo, and a long-term, monogamous relationship implied certain bounds.
“I said, ‘Well, that’s not happening. We’re not all single. There’s not gonna be a bar in the room. And we’re not in Vegas,” was what Bullock responded with to Clooney’s ‘go crazy’ advice. That didn’t mean the Ocean’s 8 crew didn’t have a great time; they’d all bask in silence in a Brooklyn loft with the Fight Club actress feeding them from a lovely charcuterie platter while Awkwafina would read them “interesting facts from the internet.” “We had our own way of bonding. It just wasn’t as lively and sexy,” Bullock admitted.
The Ocean’s trilogy can be streamed on Netflix. Ocean’s 8 is available on HBO Max.
Source: Yahoo! Entertainment
