Oscar-winning filmmaker Edward Berger (“All Quiet On The Western Front,” “Conclave”) says that despite the rumors, he was never really ever set to direct the proposed “Ocean’s 14” film.
The talk began late last year when George Clooney and Brad Pitt were reportedly pursuing him to take on the next installment in the “Ocean’s 11” franchise which has been relatively dormant since the release of “Ocean’s 8”.
In an interview with Deadline this week, Berger put an end to speculation that he was preparing to direct the film saying it was little more than an idea that was floated:
“Deep down inside, I knew it’s not my movie, it’s Steven Soderbergh’s movie. He invented that, beautifully. He made them, and I’m just following in his footsteps. What is new for me? I love those movies, but in essence, I don’t know what to add to what the great Steven Soderbergh did.”
He went on to explain that while he did consider the idea very briefly, a good night sleep cured him of his interest:
“I went to bed, slept eight hours, and realized, it’s not me. I called Brad [Pitt] because we had talked a bunch of times. I knew he was open to doing something, and I basically said, I’m sorry, I don’t want to do ‘Ocean’s’ and hope I haven’t offended you. But I have this great script that I would love you to look at because I think it might be a challenge for both of us. He read it in two days and called back and said, I want to do it. It’s the best script I’ve ever read.”
The film he’s referring to is A24’s “The Riders” which will shoot next year, while Berger most recently worked on the Colin Farrell-led “Ballad of a Small Player”. Meanwhile, Soderbergh has previously confirmed he’s done with the “Ocean’s” franchise.
