‘Ocean’s 11’ Prequel Finds Director

It appears that a new Ocean’s 11 movie will take the form of a prequel to the earlier movies.

According to Variety, director Lee Isaac Chung is in discussions about directing an upcoming Ocean’s prequel. It’s worth mentioning that no cast has been finalized for the film yet, but Margot Robbie’s production company is involved, and there were previous rumors suggesting that she might star alongside her Barbie co-star Ryan Gosling in this project.

At the moment, the project is being driven by a script penned by Carrie Solomon. As yet, there’s no definite information available about what aspects or details this script might cover.

The original Ocean’s Eleven movie was released in 1960 with the Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. in leading roles. In 2001, Steven Soderbergh reimagined this movie featuring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon, which was a massive success and led to two follow-ups, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen. In 2018, Gary Ross directed an adaptation titled Ocean’s Eight, where Sandra Bullock played the role of Clooney’s character’s sister. Some cast members from previous films like Elliott Gould and Qin Shaobo made appearances in this female-led spinoff.

Over the past few years, Clooney has expressed his desire to produce an Ocean’s 14. In 2023, he mentioned that there was a highly promising script for a fourth Ocean’s film, which he found intriguing. Later in autumn, it was announced that Clooney and Pitt were prepared to reprise their roles for a potential 14, possibly under the direction of Edward Berger, who directed Conclave. Clooney has likened the idea behind this sequel to the Martin Brest film Going in Style, which revolves around a group of retirees who, with nothing left to lose, decide to pull off a bank heist.

It’s uncertain if the movie has been recently completed, and creating this prequel wouldn’t necessarily mean we can’t make the next sequel as well.

The 10 Biggest Box Office Bombs of the Last 10 Years (2016-2025)

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

The 2008 film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” despite being somewhat criticized, generated a staggering worldwide box office gross of $786 million, making it the highest-grossing movie in the Indiana Jones franchise. Contrary to popular belief, it was not a financial failure. Although it may have received mixed reviews, it certainly proved its worth financially.

On the other hand, Harrison Ford’s return in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (2023) was generally better received by critics compared to “Crystal Skull,” yet it didn’t manage to surpass its predecessor’s box office success, earning only $384 million worldwide. Reports suggest that Disney might have incurred a loss of around $140 million on this production, a significant amount that could potentially be the focus of an Indiana Jones-style treasure hunt.

The Flash

Global Box Office Earnings for The Flash: $271.3 million

The Flash, with its box office earnings, left Black Adam in the shadow of Men in Black; it managed to gross less than $300 million worldwide, against a reported budget of around $220 million. This was surprising given that the film featured not one but multiple versions of the Flash character, as well as two different Batmen – Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight and Michael Keaton’s return to DC after nearly 30 years.

Keaton’s return as Batman generated a lot of buzz. However, it seems that this publicity didn’t translate into ticket sales. Despite rumors that Warner Bros. shelved Keaton’s next DC film, Batgirl, due to its tax benefits, the poor performance of The Flash in theaters certainly didn’t help its cause.

Wish (2023)

Global Box Office Earnings: $254.9 million

In an effort to commemorate a century of Disney magic, the movie Wish seems more like a reflection of various challenges that Disney (and many of its subsidiaries) faced during their centennial year. These include: the company’s excessive self-mythologizing, fixation on Easter eggs, and an attempt to appeal to current audiences solely by reminding them of nostalgic memories from the past. Will it be the first Disney executive who writes a detailed analysis of this film, comparing King Magnifico, a powerful figurehead who hoards wishes like magical currency, to Bob Iger?

Dark Phoenix (2019)

Worldwide Box Office Earnings: $252.4 million

In the latest installment of “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” directed by Simon Kinberg, we find a film that surpasses his previous effort in certain aspects but falls short in others. It may not quite match the brilliance of the original comics. As is often the case with the later X-Men films, Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of Magneto stands out, adding a weightiness to the character that the series might not fully warrant. Moreover, in this movie, Magneto is supposed to be 60 years old, yet he looks like Michael Fassbender – kudos to that magnetic therapy!

The new version of “The Dark Phoenix Saga” directed by Simon Kinberg has some improvements over the first one but also has areas that could use work. It’s not as great as the original comics. As with other X-Men films, Michael Fassbender does a fantastic job as Magneto. In this movie, Magneto is 60, but he looks like Michael Fassbender – I guess that magnetic therapy really works!

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

Titled “Joker: Folie a Deux,” this sequel is bound to be remembered as one of the most peculiar in cinematic history. Rumors suggest that Warner Bros. might end up spending a staggering $200 million on this project, and the few viewers who attended the screenings were mostly left frustrated by their experience (CinemaScore: D).

Admittedly, I didn’t “enjoy” “Joker: Folie a Deux.” In fact, it seemed to have a peculiar knack for alienating its intended audience. Instead of further cultivating Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker character as a cult figure, the film opted to put his persona (and by extension, the entire first movie) on trial, presenting an endless courtroom drama that scrutinized his actions in “Joker.” Adding to the mix: Musical numbers! The outcome was frequently dull and occasionally enraging. However, if a movie aspires to be tedious and infuriating, is it a triumph or a flop? Regardless of the answer, it appears that this time, the joke was on the audience.

The Marvels (2023)

Global Box Office Earnings: $206.1 million

In a nutshell, this Marvel film isn’t the poorest performer – it’s actually above three others on the list – but it’s arguably the most disorganized and intense. The trio of captivating Marvel characters (Captain Marvel played by Brie Larson, Ms. Marvel portrayed by Iman Vellani, and Monica Rambeau embodied by Teyonah Parris) are thrown into a whirlwind to prevent a Kree warlord from causing havoc for unclear reasons. The actors shine together, but the plot, although short, is chaotic and filled with peculiar decisions that make little sense in the grand scheme of things.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Global Box Office Revenue: $148.7 million

You might be wondering: “King Arthur? What’s that all about?” Initially, Warner Bros. envisioned a grand medieval film franchise based on this story, featuring standalone films for various Knights of the Round Table. However, the release of the movie, starring Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur and featuring a more superhero-like interpretation of the character (Arthur’s sword had magical properties), didn’t last long in theaters and was relatively quiet. It’s said that the production cost the studio $150 million. Considering how minimal the impact King Arthur: Legend of the Sword had on popular culture, it seems plausible.

Mortal Engines

Global Box Office Collection: $83.7 million

Many people found this peculiar sci-fi film, co-written and produced by Peter Jackson, set in a post-apocalyptic world where cities move across a devastated Earth, quite intriguing. However, it seems that the accountants at Universal were less enthused. The movie reportedly cost between $100 million and $150 million to produce, not including marketing expenses. It managed to earn slightly over $80 million worldwide. Quite a post-apocalyptic outcome indeed.

Strange World (2022)

Global Box Office Earnings for “Strange World”: $73.6 Million

Disney’s recent lineup has seen its fair share of underperformers, with “Elio” being one of the latest additions to this list. However, among these disappointments, “Strange World” stands out as the most significant loss. Estimated to have been produced at around $150 million, this family-oriented adventure film generated only $73.6 million globally. Initially, analysts predicted that Disney could lose over $100 million on this production, which featured Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, and Jaboukie Young-White in the leading roles.

It’s worth noting that while original Disney films seem to be struggling in cinemas, their sequels and live-action remakes continue to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars. This contrast is one of the peculiarities in today’s movie industry landscape.

Moonfall

Global Box Office Collection: $67.3 Million

In Roland Emmerich’s latest film featuring global destruction, the box office revenue fell short compared to his previous blockbusters such as Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012. This time around, the moon is shown crashing to Earth, an event that doesn’t exactly sound plausible for survival, but hey; it’s a movie!

However, it seems that audiences may not have been keen on witnessing the Earth being destroyed by the moon, despite the visually stunning explosions. With an estimated budget of $150 million, the film unfortunately grossed only a fraction of this amount. Perhaps one could say that the movie’s financial performance mirrored its narrative? (Just joking; I’m quite pleased with that joke.)

2025-08-01 19:57