After the Louvre Heist, Is George Clooney Plotting Ocean’s 14?

George Clooney is apparently in a very Ocean-y mood. At AFI Fest, he cracked jokes about the recent Louvre robbery like a guy who has planned a heist or two on camera, then pivoted to updates on the next Ocean movie. The short version: he thinks the Louvre crew pulled off a wild job, and Ocean's 14 is moving forward faster than you might expect.

Clooney on the Louvre robbery: impressed, and very Clooney about it

Talking to Variety at AFI Fest, Clooney joked that, as a so-called 'professional thief' (read: Danny Ocean), he was proud of the thieves who hit the Louvre. He also wondered out loud if authorities will ever actually catch them, because, well, it looked like a clean getaway.

In case you missed it: according to ABC News, four people forced their way into Paris's Louvre Museum in broad daylight and snatched eight pieces of jewelry and other valuables worth more than $100 million in under seven minutes. The thieves are still at large.

Clooney leaned into the bit hard, saying they should fold the whole thing into the next movie. To Associated Press he even riffed on a cameo-by-CG: put him 'in that basket coming out of the Louvre.' Subtle, it was not.

So, about Ocean's 14: script done, budget locked, clock ticking

Setting the jokes aside, Clooney told Variety the script is finished and things are going well. Then he told E! News the money side is handled: Warner Bros. has approved the budget, and now it's just about aligning calendars.

'We just got the budget approved at Warner Bros. and we are trying to set up. It is just scheduling, so it is just setting a start date for us... probably start in about nine or 10 months, shooting.'

Translation: if the timing holds, cameras roll next year. Plot details are under wraps, but you can see why that Louvre chatter keeps coming up. It is the most Ocean-coded real-world caper we have had in a while.

The crew and the captain

The 2001 Ocean's Eleven lineup is the vibe here. Clooney name-checked Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and Don Cheadle, calling them all close friends and saying he would love to get the band back together. That is the intent for the sequel. On the other long-running players, he kept it quiet.

Behind the camera, David Leitch (Bullet Train) is set to direct. That is an intriguing fit for a sleek, fast-talking heist movie.

Quick catch-up

• Where Clooney said what: Variety and AP at AFI Fest; E! News for the budget/timing update.
• The Louvre heist: four suspects, broad daylight, eight high-value pieces, north of $100 million, under seven minutes; suspects still on the run (per ABC News).
• Ocean's 14 status: script is done; Warner Bros. budget approved; scheduling underway; aiming to shoot in about 9–10 months.
• Cast: Clooney wants the core Ocean's Eleven crew back — Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle — and says they are in touch; others TBD.
• Director: David Leitch.
• If you want a refresher: the Ocean's movies are rentable on Amazon Prime.

My read

The Louvre stuff is Clooney doing Clooney — a little cheeky, a little provocative, very on brand for the guy who played Danny Ocean. The actual news is the budget approval and the rough start window. That is the behind-the-scenes note that matters: once a studio signs off on the money, the dominoes usually start falling.

Are we ready for another spin with this crew? If Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Roberts, and Cheadle are all in — plus Leitch bringing some velocity — I am not complaining. If it turns into a greatest-hits tour, we will know it fast. Your move, Warner Bros.