60 Fun Facts About Ocean's Eleven

Who directed the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven?

He went on to direct both sequels; Ted Griffin wrote the screenplay.

Who plays Danny Ocean in the 2001 film?

His commitment to the film forced him to turn down the lead in Unfaithful.

Which three casinos does the crew rob in Ocean's Eleven?

All three are owned by Terry Benedict, and their cash sits in one underground vault.

Who plays casino owner Terry Benedict?

Bruce Willis later said he regretted turning the part down because the character was unfinished in the script he read.

Which character does Brad Pitt play?

He is Danny's partner in crime, forever eating on screen.

Matt Damon plays which member of the eleven?

Mark Wahlberg was originally cast but left to star in the Planet of the Apes remake.

Tess, played by a Pretty Woman star, is Danny's what?

She is dating Benedict, which nearly makes Rusty call the whole thing off.

Which veteran comic actor plays elderly con man Saul Bloom?

Saul poses as a wealthy foreigner to get a briefcase of 'jewels' into the vault.

How much cash does the crew estimate the vault will hold on fight night?

They walk away with more than $160 million.

What device does Basher use to black out Las Vegas during the heist?

The film's pinch was loosely based on the real Sandia Z-pinch, though nothing that small could actually do it.

How does Benedict realise the security footage he watched was fake?

The team had built a precise replica of the vault to practise in.

How does the crew actually walk the money out of the casino?

They intercepted the 911 call Benedict made.

What are the money bags in the decoy van actually filled with?

The van itself turns out to be under remote control.

Which cast member asked to have his name removed from the credits of Ocean's Eleven?

He said something happened behind the scenes he did not like; his cockney accent as Basher was also widely mocked.

Which brothers dropped out of playing the Malloy twins to make The Royal Tenenbaums?

The Coens were considered as replacements before Casey Affleck and Scott Caan got the parts.

Whose friendship with Bellagio owner Kirk Kerkorian got permission to film in the real casino?

The cast also stayed at the hotel during the shoot; Weintraub cameos as high-roller Denny Shields.

Which two stars of the 1960 original make cameos as themselves in the 2001 remake?

Siegfried & Roy and Wayne Newton also appear as themselves.

Which five TV actors cameo as themselves being taught poker by Rusty?

Holly Marie Combs, Topher Grace, Joshua Jackson, Barry Watson and Shane West lose their money to Danny.

Roughly how much did Ocean's Eleven gross worldwide?

It was the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2001 on an $85 million budget.

Which film did Ocean's Eleven knock off the top of the US box office in December 2001?

Its $38.1 million was then the biggest December opening ever, beating What Women Want.

Who played Danny Ocean in the original 1960 film?

When Lawford first pitched him the story, Sinatra joked, 'Forget the movie, let's pull the job!'

How many Las Vegas casinos does the 1960 gang rob?

The Sahara, Riviera, Desert Inn, Sands and Flamingo, all on New Year's Eve.

The 1960 crew are all veterans of which military unit?

They plan the New Year's Eve job like a military operation.

Where does the 1960 gang hide the loot, with disastrous results?

The widow has the body cremated, along with all the cash.

Which crew member's death by heart attack in the middle of the Strip unravels the 1960 plan?

Reformed mobster Duke Santos pieces the crime together from his military record.

Who plays the reformed mobster Duke Santos in the 1960 film?

He offers to recover the casinos' money for a percentage.

Who directed the 1960 Ocean's 11?

He is better known for All Quiet on the Western Front; Saul Bass designed the animated titles.

The 1960 film's closing shot shows the cast walking past which hotel's marquee listing them as headliners?

The Rat Pack really were performing there at the time.

Which of these stars made a cameo in the 1960 film as an inebriated woman who kisses Dean Martin?

Red Skelton and George Raft also cameo.

In Ocean's Twelve, how much interest does Benedict demand on top of the original $160M?

The crew heads to Europe to raise the money without attracting US authorities.

What is the Night Fox's real name in Ocean's Twelve?

Vincent Cassel plays the French baron with a villa on Lake Como.

What object does the Night Fox challenge Danny to steal in Ocean's Twelve?

The crew ends up stealing it in transit, tipped off by LeMarc.

In Ocean's Twelve, Tess poses as which real celebrity, in a joke about the actress playing her?

The joke is that Tess is played by Julia Roberts; a passing Bruce Willis helps foil the ruse.

Who plays Europol detective Isabel Lahiri in Ocean's Twelve?

Lahiri, Rusty's ex, turns out to be the daughter of master thief Gaspar LeMarc.

Which real star coincidentally appears in Ocean's Twelve and helps foil the fake-Julia plan?

He plays himself; the twist mocks the very idea of celebrity casting.

Who plays casino mogul Willy Bank in Ocean's Thirteen?

His hotel-casino is called simply The Bank.

What prompts the crew to target Willy in Ocean's Thirteen?

Bank's thugs strong-arm Reuben into signing over his stake in the hotel.

What is the name of the AI security system that monitors gamblers' biometrics at The Bank?

They plan to disrupt it with a magnetron disguised as a mobile phone gift.

What machine does the crew buy to fake an earthquake under The Bank?

When it breaks down, they have to go cap in hand to Terry Benedict for a replacement.

Which honour are the crew trying to stop The Bank from winning?

Saul poses as the anonymous reviewer while the real one is treated horribly, then wins $11 million on a rigged slot.

Ellen Barkin plays which character in Ocean's Thirteen?

Linus seduces her to reach Bank's diamond collection.

On whose talk show is Benedict forced to admit his 'philanthropy' at the end of Ocean's Thirteen?

Danny donates Benedict's $72 million share to charity in his name.

At which festival did Ocean's Thirteen premiere out of competition in May 2007?

It went on to gross $312 million worldwide.

Who plays Debbie Ocean in Ocean's 8?

Debbie is Danny's younger sister, newly paroled.

What is the target of the heist in Ocean's 8?

It is valued at $150 million and worn to the Met Gala by actress Daphne Kluger.

Anne Hathaway plays which character in Ocean's 8?

Her character ends up joining the crew and becomes a film director.

Which Ocean's Eleven cast member reprises his role as Reuben Tishkoff in Ocean's 8?

Qin Shaobo also returns as the Amazing Yen; Matt Damon's cameo was cut.

Which British TV host plays the insurance investigator in Ocean's 8?

He joined the cast in January 2017.

Roughly how much did Ocean's 8 gross worldwide?

Its budget was about $70 million.

Which real fashion figure appears as herself at the Met Gala in Ocean's 8?

Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner and Katie Holmes also cameo.

Where does Debbie go at the very end of Ocean's 8 to toast with a martini?

The film treats Danny Ocean as dead, though a headstone is all we see.

The Oceans prequel announced in 2024 with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling focuses on whom?

The plot involves a heist at the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix; a June 2027 release date was announced.

Which director was in talks in January 2025 to helm Ocean's Fourteen?

He had worked with Brad Pitt on Bullet Train; Clooney said in late 2025 the budget was finalised for a shoot the following year.

Which 2014 Bollywood film starring Shah Rukh Khan draws heavily on the plot of Ocean's Eleven?

The Ocean's heist scene also made Entertainment Weekly's best-of-the-decade list.

Who wrote the screenplay for the 2001 Ocean's Eleven?

Koppelman and Nolfi wrote the sequels; the project had first been mooted by Dragnet producer David Permut in 1987.

How long has Danny Ocean been in a New Jersey prison when he is paroled at the start of the film?

He immediately breaks parole by heading to Los Angeles to find Rusty.

Which real-world device was the film's Las Vegas-blackout machine based on?

The effect is unrealistic: no device of the size shown could black out Las Vegas.

Which Debussy piece plays as the crew gathers at the Bellagio fountains after the heist?

The soundtrack uses the Philadelphia Orchestra's version under Eugene Ormandy, alongside David Holmes's score.

Roughly what was the production budget of the 2001 Ocean's Eleven?

Its $38.1 million opening weekend set a December record, beating What Women Want.

Which heavyweight boxers appear as themselves fighting on heist night?

Producer Jerry Weintraub also cameos, as the high-roller Denny Shields.