Inside the $102 Million Louvre Jewel Heist: How the Thieves Pulled It Off—and George Clooney Reacts
Fresh off confirming a new Ocean’s caper, George Clooney turned last week’s Louvre heist into inspiration at the AFI premiere of his Netflix film Jay Kelly, hinting to Variety that the Paris smash-and-grab could be perfect for the franchise’s next score.
George Clooney just turned a real-world museum caper into promo fuel for his next caper movie. At the AFI premiere of his Netflix film 'Jay Kelly,' he weighed in on the Louvre break-in that rattled Paris, cracked a few jokes, and casually confirmed that 'Ocean's 14' is basically ready to roll.
Clooney on the Louvre Robbery: Equal Parts Amused and Motivated
Asked if the Louvre heist might crash the next 'Ocean's' movie, Clooney smirked his way through it: he tossed out 'we should rob the Louvre' before pointing out someone beat them to it. He even riffed about targeting his 'Jay Kelly' co-star Adam Sandler instead, suggesting Sandler might be harboring a few royal gems. Classic Clooney: dry, unserious, but also kinda serious.
Under the jokes, there was news. Clooney said the 'Ocean's 14' script is finished and that cameras are supposed to start rolling next year. He also admitted the real thing set a brutal new benchmark for fictional thieves.
'It was cool. I mean, it's terrible. But if you're a professional thief like I am, I was very proud of those guys.'
He also doubted the robbers will ever be caught and said the movie now has to live up to that audacity. Variety posted the moment from the carpet on October 24, 2025.
What Actually Happened at the Louvre
This was not a midnight stealth mission. According to police, a crew pulled up around 09:30 local time during public hours with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift. They extended a ladder to a first-floor window into the Gallery of Apollo, cut through the window with power tools, and then threatened guards to clear the room. They used more tools to slice open the glass case protecting France's crown jewels. The gallery reportedly had no CCTV running at the time. In and out in four minutes, and by 09:38 they were gone, speeding off on scooters in daylight like it was storyboarded.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the theft 'an attack on our history.' Roughly 60 investigators are on it. The French cultural ministry said the team looked experienced and their plan was tightly executed. No injuries were reported. One odd detail: the thieves apparently tried to torch their vehicle outside but were interrupted by museum staff.
Senator Natalie Goulet told the BBC that a localized alarm inside the museum had recently been faulty, and investigators are now looking into whether it was switched off. If that checks out, it would explain how power tools inside a museum did not trigger a bigger response.
What vanished, valued around $102 million:
- A tiara and brooch once owned by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III
- Empress Marie Louise's emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings
- A tiara, necklace, and single earring from a sapphire set tied to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense
- A 'reliquary' brooch
'Ocean's 14' Update: Script Locked, Cast Lining Up
Clooney told E! News that 'Ocean's 14' is officially moving. Warner Bros. has signed off on the budget, and the only holdup now is wrangling schedules. He expects filming to begin in roughly nine or ten months. He also said he plans to reunite with the usual suspects next year: Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle. He had dinner with Roberts the night before and said the gang is still tight, and still up for it.
He previously teased to Uproxx that they have a 'really good' script, calling it 'actually a great script,' and described the tone as leaning toward Martin Brest's 1979 heist comedy 'Going in Style' — which suggests a lighter, maybe more seasoned angle on the crew getting back together.
On top of that, there's a separate prequel brewing with Margot Robbie leading the charge. Bradley Cooper is reportedly in talks to star opposite her, with Jay Roach directing and Carrie Solomon writing.
The Takeaway
A real $102 million smash-and-grab at the Louvre — power tools, no cameras, scooters — just set a wild bar for movie heists to clear. Clooney knows it. Now it's on 'Ocean's 14' to top the headlines without needing a police report to back it up. Thoughts on Clooney's comments or the sheer logistics of that escape? Drop them below.