“Ocean’s Mike?”
suggested Clooney while discussing potential Ocean’s sequels at the TCM Classic Film Festival.
We’ve seen Danny Ocean rob the strip, but what about Danny Ocean stripping?
George Clooney in ‘Ocean’s Eleven’; Channing Tatum in ‘Magic Mike’.Everett Collection (2)
It could happen ifGeorge Clooneygets his way.
“Ocean’s Mike?
“he quipped while swinging his microphone phone in the style of a stripper helicoptering their own anatomy.
George Clooney in ‘Ocean’s 11’.Bob Marshak
Mankiewicz suggestedMagic Danny,which Clooney ran with it, saying, “Danny gets his groove.”
It’s not the most implausible idea.
When Clooney and Soderbergh first met in 1997, they were coming off career disappointments.
“I’d just doneBatman and Robin,” said Clooney, which elicited cheers from the audience.
“I know you like that movie,” he added, sarcastically.
“I know you like the bat nipples.”
Meanwhile, Soderbergh had directed 1995’sThe Underneath, a crime-thriller starring Peter Gallagher that flopped at the box office.
“I grew up watching movies made by great filmmakers that were commercially successful, distinctive movies.
And I wanted to be part of that tradition.”
Added Clooney: “It’s also important to understand where we were at the time.
The studios were making very big, broad, not very good films at that time.
It was going to get back to the things that they were doing from like 1964 to 1975.”
“The first week, week and a half, I still felt not dialed in.
That’s the default composition for the whole film.
And I had a great script and I had a great cast.”
The joke made her laugh, which led to her signing on to the movie.
That doesn’t mean it was all smooth sailing though.
Clooney confirmed reports that bothMark WahlbergandJohnny Deppwere approached for Damon’s role as Linus.
“Steven had just doneErin BrockovichandTraffic, and he was nominated for directing both films,” Clooney said.
“So, people really wanted to work with Steven.”
“That said, some people did say no to us,” interjected Soderbergh.
Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp.
They regret it now.
I regret doing f—ingBatman.”
I’m built to do this job.
And I just had gotten confused because the business is frustrating.
But one of the pleasures is frankly making something that 20-plus years later anybody’s talking about.
Because the worst fear for any filmmaker is feeling irrelevant.”
