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Ocean's Eleven

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This article is about the 2001 film. For the 1960 film, see Ocean's 11.

Ocean's Eleven
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySteven Soderbergh
Screenplay byTed Griffin
Based on
Ocean's 11
by
Produced byJerry Weintraub
Starring
CinematographyPeter Andrews
Edited byStephen Mirrione
Music byDavid Holmes
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • December 7, 2001 (2001-12-07)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$85 million[1]
Box office$450.7 million[1]

Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Ted Griffin. A remake of the 1960 film of the same name, it serves as the first installment in the Ocean's franchise. The film features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner. Its plot follows Danny Ocean, a recently paroled con artist who orchestrates a complex scheme to simultaneously rob the vaults of three major Las Vegas casinos owned by Terry Benedict, the current partner of Ocean’s ex-wife, Tess.

The film was released theatrically in the United States on December 7, 2001, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its direction, performances, and stylish execution. A commercial success, the film grossed $450.7 million worldwide against a production budget of $85 million, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2001.

The film's success led to two direct sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), both directed by Soderbergh and featuring much of the original cast. A spin-off film, Ocean's 8, starring an all-female ensemble, was released in 2018.[2][3]

Plot

[edit]

Professional thief Danny Ocean is released from a New Jersey prison after serving four years. He travels to Los Angeles to reunite with his former partner, Rusty Ryan. Together, they approach their wealthy associate Reuben Tishkoff in Las Vegas with a proposal to rob three casinos—Bellagio, The Mirage, and MGM Grand—all owned by Tishkoff's rival, Terry Benedict. Anticipating that the casinos’ underground vault will hold more than $150 million during an upcoming high-profile boxing match, Ocean outlines a plan to infiltrate and rob the facility, which is protected by extensive security systems. Motivated by a desire to get back at Benedict, who previously forced him out of the casino business, Tishkoff agrees to fund the operation.

Ocean and Ryan recruit eight specialists to carry out the heist: con man Frank Catton, retired grifter Saul Bloom, demolitions expert Basher Tarr, surveillance technician Livingston Dell, acrobat Yen, pickpocket Linus Caldwell, and the Malloy twins, Virgil and Turk, who serve as mechanics and drivers. A full-scale replica of the casino vault is constructed for practice, and each team member is assigned tasks to infiltrate the casinos, gather intel, and prepare for the operation.

Linus, while tailing Benedict, learns that he is dating Tess, Ocean’s ex-wife. Concerned that Ocean’s true motivation is personal, Ryan considers aborting the plan, but Ocean insists on moving forward. Ocean later confronts Tess, rekindling unresolved tensions, and meets with Benedict, who has him forcibly removed and barred from his properties.

On the night of the heist, Ocean deliberately gets himself captured by Benedict's security and detained in a surveillance-free room, where he is secretly aided by an accomplice. Meanwhile, the team initiates the plan: Saul, disguised as a high-roller, convinces Benedict to store a briefcase of valuable "jewels"—actually explosives—in the vault; Yen is smuggled inside the vault via a service cart; and Basher activates an electromagnetic pulse that disables power to the casino, including its security systems. With the power down, Ocean and Caldwell descend into the vault, subdue the guards, and use the disguised explosives to breach the vault door.

Rusty contacts Benedict, informing him of the robbery and demanding that half the vault's contents be delivered to a waiting van or the entire haul will be destroyed. Benedict complies, only to later discover that the van was a decoy filled with worthless flyers and controlled remotely. Simultaneously, a SWAT team storms the vault and detonates the remaining explosives, seemingly destroying the remaining cash. However, Benedict soon realizes the footage he saw of the vault was fabricated, as the floor lacks the recently added Bellagio logo.

It is revealed that the crew had impersonated the SWAT team, entered the vault under that guise, and exited with the stolen money in duffel bags. Ocean, having returned to the secure room, is confronted by Benedict but is not implicated in the crime. Tess watches a surveillance feed showing Benedict choosing the money over her, prompting her to leave him. Although Ocean is arrested for violating his parole, he and Tess reconcile before his departure.

Three to six months later, Ocean is released from prison and picked up by Tess and Rusty. As they drive away, Benedict’s men follow closely behind.

Cast

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Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, and Steven Soderbergh in December 2001
Main article: List of Ocean's (film series) characters

The Eleven

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In order of recruitment:

The Casino

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  • Andy García as Terry Benedict, the owner of the robbed casinos and Reuben's rival
  • Julia Roberts as Tess Ocean, Danny's ex-wife and Terry's girlfriend
  • Scott L. Schwartz as Bruiser, hired muscle for Benedict who's actually working for Ocean
  • Michael DeLano as Frank Walsh, Terry's casino manager and second in command
  • Richard Reed as Bucky Buchanan, someone who knows Saul from the past and almost ruins the heist at a point
  • David & Larry Sontag as "The Power Twins", two bodyguards/hired muscle working for Benedict

Cameos

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Development

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In 1987, producer David Permut announced plans to remake the 1960 film Ocean's 11 following his work on the film adaptation of the television series Dragnet. However, the project did not move forward beyond the development stage.[4] In January 2000, Variety reported that Warner Bros. was actively developing a new version of Ocean’s Eleven with Steven Soderbergh attached to direct. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts were attached to star in the project, which was envisioned as a modern reimagining of the original film.[5]

The script was written by Ted Griffin, who adapted the concept of a multi-casino heist into a contemporary setting centered on the Las Vegas Strip. The heist's central technological device, a fictional electromagnetic pulse generator known as "the pinch," was loosely based on the real-life Sandia Z-pinch. Scientists later noted, however, that the film's portrayal of the device's effects was exaggerated and scientifically implausible.[6]

Casting

[edit]

Early in development, Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Linus Caldwell, while Luke and Owen Wilson entered negotiations to portray the Malloy twins. The Wilson brothers ultimately declined the roles due to scheduling conflicts with The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).[5] Other actors reportedly approached for roles included Mike Myers, Bruce Willis, Ewan McGregor, Alan Arkin, and Ralph Fiennes, though all eventually dropped out of the project.[5][7][8] In a 2007 interview, Willis expressed regret over turning down the role of Terry Benedict, citing concerns about the character's incomplete development at the time he reviewed the script.[9]

Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen were briefly considered for the roles of the Malloy twins before Soderbergh cast Scott Caan and Casey Affleck. Mark Wahlberg was originally cast as Linus Caldwell but exited to star in Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes (2001); he was replaced by Matt Damon.[8] Clooney’s commitment to Ocean’s Eleven led him to decline the lead role in Unfaithful.[10]

Although Don Cheadle played explosives expert Basher Tarr, he was uncredited in the final film.[11] Cheadle later stated that disputes over billing led him to request the removal of his name from the credits. “There was some stuff that happened behind the scenes that I didn’t like how it went down,” he said. “So I just said, ‘Take my name off it.’”[11]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography began on February 11, 2001, and concluded on June 7, 2001. The majority of filming took place in Las Vegas, with additional scenes shot in New Jersey, Chicago, Los Angeles, Florida, and Burbank, California.[12] Thanks to producer Jerry Weintraub’s personal relationship with Bellagio owner Kirk Kerkorian, the production was granted permission to film on location at the Bellagio casino. Members of the cast also resided at the hotel during the shoot.[13]

Music

[edit]
Main article: Ocean's Eleven (soundtrack)

Reception

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Box office

[edit]

Ocean’s Eleven had a production budget of approximately $85 million. It opened in the United States on December 7, 2001, and earned an estimated $38.1 million during its opening weekend, debuting at number one at the domestic box office and displacing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone from the top position.[15] At the time, it set a new record for the highest opening weekend in December, surpassing What Women Want.[16] The record stood for only two weeks before being overtaken by The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.[17]

The film also achieved the largest opening weekend for both Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, surpassing Interview with the Vampire (1994) and Runaway Bride (1999), respectively.[18] For George Clooney, it marked the third-highest domestic opening of his career at the time, trailing only Batman & Robin and The Perfect Storm.[18] Ocean’s Eleven went on to gross $183.4 million in the United States and Canada and $267.3 million in international markets, for a worldwide total of $450.7 million.[1] It remained Clooney’s highest-grossing film until the release of Gravity in 2013.[19]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Ocean’s Eleven holds an approval rating of 83% based on 188 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's consensus reads: "As fast-paced, witty, and entertaining as it is star-studded and coolly stylish, Ocean's Eleven offers a well-seasoned serving of popcorn entertainment."[20] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale.[22]

People described the film as "pure fun from start to finish" and included it in its year-end Best of Screen list.[23][24] Newsweek praised its lively tone, writing that Ocean’s Eleven "bounces along with finger-snapping high spirits", and while director Steven Soderbergh had made "deeper films", the magazine noted that "this carefree caper movie is nothing to sneeze at".[25] Time's Richard Corliss offered a dissenting view, stating that the film "doesn't offer much" beyond its surface charm.[26]

In a 2008 reader poll, Empire ranked Ocean’s Eleven as the 500th entry on its list of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.[27] Entertainment Weekly featured the film’s central heist sequence in its end-of-decade “best-of” list, calling it "the most winning robbery sequence of the decade".[28]

Don Cheadle's performance as explosives expert Basher Tarr received attention for his use of a Cockney accent, which was widely criticized as inauthentic. In later interviews, Cheadle acknowledged the criticism, stating, "My British friends ... tell me [it's] a truly terrible London accent in Ocean's Thirteen. You know something, I really worked on that accent... Even though everyone laughs at me. So I sacked [my agent], of course."[29][30]

Accolades

[edit]
Award Date of the ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
National Board of Review 5 December 2001 Top Ten Films Ocean’s Eleven won [31]
Online Film Critics Society 2 January 2002 Best Ensemble Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Elliott Gould, Eddie Jemison, Bernie Mac, Brad Pitt, Shaobo Qin, and Carl Reiner Nominated [32]
Best Original Score David Holmes Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 11 January 2002 Best Acting Ensemble Ocean’s Eleven Nominated [33]
Satellite Awards 19 January 2002 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Carl Reiner Nominated [34]
Art Directors Guild 15 February 2002 Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Keith P. Cunningham, Blair Huizingh, Philip Messina, and Robert Woodruff Nominated [35]
Costume Designers Guild 16 March 2002 Excellence in Contemporary Film Jeffrey Kurland Nominated [36]
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1 June 2002 Best On-Screen Team Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Elliott Gould, Eddie Jemison, Bernie Mac, Brad Pitt, Shaobo Qin, and Carl Reiner Nominated [37]
Teen Choice Awards 19 August 2002 Choice Movie Actor: Drama/Action Adventure Brad Pitt Nominated [38]
Choice Movie Villain Andy García Nominated
Choice Breakout Movie Actor Shaobo Qin Nominated
Casting Society 17 October 2002 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy) Debra Zane Nominated
Empire Awards 5 February 2003 Best Director Steven Soderbergh Nominated
César Awards 22 February 2003 Best Foreign Film Ocean’s Eleven Nominated

Home media

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Ocean’s Eleven was released on VHS and DVD in Region 1 on May 7, 2002. The home media release included behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast and crew interviews, and commentary tracks by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin.[39]

Sequels

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Director Steven Soderbergh returned to helm two direct sequels: Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), completing what became known as the Ocean's Trilogy. Most of the principal cast from the first film reprised their roles in both follow-ups.

A spin-off, Ocean's 8, featuring an all-female ensemble cast, was released on June 8, 2018.[40] The film was conceived by producer Jerry Weintraub, Soderbergh, and George Clooney. It was directed by Gary Ross, who co-wrote the screenplay with Olivia Milch.[41] The ensemble cast included Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, the sister of Danny Ocean, alongside Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, and Awkwafina.[42][43][44]

Other adaptations

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The Japanese theater company Takarazuka Revue staged a musical adaptation of Ocean’s Eleven between 2011 and 2012, performed by its Star Troupe at the Takarazuka Grand Theater and Tokyo Takarazuka Theater. The production starred Reon Yuzuki as Danny Ocean, Nene Yumesaki as Tess Ocean, and Shio Suzumi as Rusty Ryan.[45]

In India, the 2014 Bollywood heist film Happy New Year drew narrative inspiration from Ocean’s Eleven. Directed by Farah Khan, the film starred Shah Rukh Khan as a charismatic thief who assembles a team to infiltrate a dance competition and rob a vault in Dubai.[46]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Ocean's Eleven (2001)". The Numbers. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  2. ^ Perez, Rodrigo (October 29, 2015). "Exclusive: All-Female 'Ocean's Eleven' In The Works Starring Sandra Bullock, With Gary Ross Directing". The Playlist.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Kevin P. (October 30, 2015). "Sandra Bullock will lead an all-female Ocean's Eleven reboot". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. ^ "'Ocean's Eleven' Update On Slate Of 'Dragnet' Producer Permut". Variety. August 12, 1987. p. 24.
  5. ^ a b c Fleming, Michael (January 26, 2000). "'Eleven' a fit for Pitt; Mark on 'Honeymoon'". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  6. ^ Stein, Ben (March 2002). "The Con-Artist Physics of "Ocean's Eleven"". APS News. Vol. 11, no. 3. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Fleming, Michael (September 11, 2000). "Inside Move: Strikes cause A-list shuffles". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (September 12, 2000). "HBO looks at real estate for Garofalo". Variety. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  9. ^ "Bruce Willis - Round #1!!!".
  10. ^ "Clooney may be 'Unfaithful'". Variety. May 21, 2000. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Williams, Kam (January 12, 2009). "Don Cheadle: The Hotel for Dogs Interview". The Sly Fox Film Reviews. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011.
  12. ^ Tripathi, Prizmi (August 1, 2011). "Where was Ocean's Eleven Filmed?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  13. ^ Julia Roberts Reflects on Recent Cher Encounter Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, 8 December 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Various - Music From The Motion Picture Ocean's Eleven, 2001-10, retrieved 2025-05-05 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Ocean's $38.1 Million". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  16. ^ "'Ocean's Eleven' rolls winning numbers". The News & Observer. December 12, 2001. p. E10. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  17. ^ "'Lord of the Rings' rules holiday weekend". News-Journal. December 27, 2001. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 18, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  18. ^ a b Karger, Dave (December 11, 2001). "Ocean's Eleven topples Harry Potter". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  19. ^ Oldham, Stuart (November 16, 2013). "'Gravity' Rises to $500 Million at Worldwide Box Office". Variety. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  20. ^ "Ocean's Eleven". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 4, 2025. Edit this at Wikidata
  21. ^ "Ocean's Eleven". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 10, 2018). "'Ocean's 8' Steals Franchise Record With $41.5M Opening – Final Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  23. ^ Leah Rozen (December 10, 2001). "Picks & Pans: Screen". People: 56.
  24. ^ "Best of Screen". People: 56. December 31, 2001.
  25. ^ David Ansen (December 17, 2001). "Boys Just Wanna Have Fun". Newsweek: 138.
  26. ^ Corliss, Richard (December 10, 2001). "Short Takes". Time. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  27. ^ "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". Empire. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  28. ^ Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 11, 2009), "The 100 Greatest Movies, TV Shows, Albums, Books, Characters, Scenes, Episodes, Songs, Dresses, Music Videos, And Trends That Entertained Us Over The Past 10 Years". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84
  29. ^ "Don Cheadle's terrible accent - Monsters and Critics". Archived from the original on July 12, 2011.
  30. ^ "The Worst British Accents Ever". Empire.
  31. ^ "2001 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  32. ^ "2001 Awards (5th Annual)". Online Film Critics Society. January 3, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  33. ^ Staff, Hollywood com (January 21, 2002). "2002 Broadcast Film Critics Awards". Tickets to Movies in Theaters, Broadway Shows, London Theatre & More | Hollywood.com. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  34. ^ "Satellite Awards (2002)". IMDb. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  35. ^ "ADG Awards Winner & Nominees". adg.org. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  36. ^ McNary, Dave (January 29, 2002). "Costumers dress up film, TV nominees". Variety. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  37. ^ Staff, Variety (April 23, 2002). "'Rings' is king of MTV movie nods". Variety. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  38. ^ "2002 TEEN CHOICE AWARDS | News OK". web.archive.org. October 27, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  39. ^ Howard, Brendan (February 22, 2002). "Ocean's Eleven' Is A Sellthrough Steal". hive4media.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2002. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  40. ^ "Ocean's 8 Release Date Set for Summer 2018". ComingSoon.net. October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  41. ^ Perez, Rodrigo (October 29, 2015). "Exclusive: All-Female 'Ocean's Eleven' In The Works Starring Sandra Bullock, With Gary Ross Directing". Indiewire. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  42. ^ Evry, Max (June 3, 2016). "Cate Blanchett in Talks to Join All-Female Ocean's Eleven". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  43. ^ Evry, Max (June 3, 2016). "Cate Blanchett in Talks to Join All-Female Ocean's Eleven". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  44. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 10, 2016). "Warner Bros Firms 'Ocean's 8' Lineup: Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling Join Sandra Bullock & Cate Blanchett". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  45. ^ "宝塚歌劇 星組公演『オーシャンズ11』". kageki.hankyu.co.jp.
  46. ^ "Movie Review: 'Happy New Year' is a cross between 'Oceans 11/12' and 'Flash Dance'". Indian Express. October 26, 2016.,
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