You'll Never Guess Who Could've Appeared In Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven, an American heist comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh, was released more than two decades ago in 2001.

A remake of the 1960 film Ocean's 11, the story followed a group of thieves as they attempted to rob three Las Vegas casinos, which required an elaborate plan.

Featuring an all-star cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and many more, the film was well received by critics and audiences and became a box office success.

It went on to achieve cult status and even spawned a new franchise with four sequels.

But it seems that the casting choices for several characters could have been very different. In a recent interview at the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival, Soderbergh and Clooney revealed some interesting details.

According to them, Linus, who was eventually portrayed by Matt Damon, could have been played by Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp at various points.

Unfortunately, both actors turned down the offer, even though Soderbergh was nominated for an Oscar at the time for directing Erin Brockovich and won in the Best Director category for directing Traffic.

Owen Wilson was also mentioned, although it wasn't specified what character he would have played.

In 2021, Ben Affleck also joked that he turned down the invitation to do the movie because he wasn't sure if Clooney was a big enough star for him.

The franchise seems to be alive to this day, with a prequel currently in the works. It will be set in Europe during the 1960s, with Margot Robbie attached as the lead and executive producer.

She will be joined by Ryan Gosling and principal photography was set to begin this spring, although no official announcement has been made.

There is also a possibility of another sequel, as back in 2021 Don Cheadle revealed that Steven Soderbergh was working on a concept for a movie and Matt Damon expressed his desire to be involved.

Source: YouTube