* ActingInTheDark:
** When Danny asks Basher where they can find a pinch, he shrugs before we cut to the gang stealing it from an institute. In reality, Creator/DonCheadle really didn't know, because the scene hadn't been written yet.
** The reaction shots of Terry Benedict in ''Thirteen'' sitting in his office watching surveillance of the heist were all shot without knowing how or when they would be used. Creator/StevenSoderbergh had Creator/AndyGarcia sit down and act out a variety of emotions so that Benedict would have a place in the story. Garcia had no idea what he was reacting to.
* ActingForTwo:
** Averted in the Italian dub. Before the film was made, Creator/BradPitt and Creator/GeorgeClooney were always dubbed by the same actor. Instead of having him voice both actors, the studio had him continue to be the Italian Creator/BradPitt and hired another actor to be Clooney.
** Played straight briefly in ''Twelve'' when Tess ends up on the phone to Julia Roberts, leaving Roberts talking to herself for until Tess can hang up.
* ActorInspiredElement:
** The RunningGag of Rusty eating something during a scene came from Creator/BradPitt's penchant to eat close to shooting rather than on breaks, so Steven Soderbergh decided to just let him eat on-camera. During the numerous takes needed to film the scene of Rusty and Linus spying on Tess by the staircase, Brad Pitt ate 40 shrimp.
** Creator/ElliottGould suggested that Reuben would smoke cigars and wear gold necklaces.
* AllStarCast: Creator/GeorgeClooney, Creator/JuliaRoberts, Creator/BradPitt, Creator/MattDamon, and Creator/AndyGarcia are just a piece of cake. The entire trilogy consists of one big name after another, including [[TheCameo cameos]]. The in-universe spin-off, ''Ocean's 8'', just adds even more names with Creator/SandraBullock as Danny's sister and Creator/CateBlanchett, among others, on the lead.
* BreakawayPopHit: The Music/ElvisPresley song "A Little Less Conversation" was chosen for the Las Vegas montage because it was identifiable as a Vegas song yet not as obvious as "Viva Las Vegas". One of Elvis' least known songs, it received a remixed version and became a hit on the radio.
* CaliforniaDoubling: In ''Twelve'', when the crew enters the Thalys on Amsterdam Central Station, they are actually on Haarlem Central Station. The actual station in Amsterdam was undergoing major renovations, which didn't look pretty on screen. For this occasion, a Thalys was transported from Amsterdam to Haarlem. Unfortunately, this Thalys pulled down a catenary, causing property damage and delays in shooting.
* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/BruceWillis was considered for both Danny Ocean and Terry Benedict. He would make a cameo AsHimself in ''Twelve''.
* TheCastShowoff:
** The filmmakers were looking for someone with specific acrobatic skills to play the part of Yen. They discovered Creator/ShaoboQin performing with the troupe in Las Vegas. He had never acted before.
** Creator/VincentCassel is a fantastic UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}} practitioner. So is his character, François Toulour.
** Creator/AndyGarcia composed the piano piece Benedict plays in ''Twelve''.
* CastTheExpert: Yen is an acrobat and contortionist, just like his actor Creator/ShaoboQin.
* CompletelyDifferentTitle:
** In Russia, the film became "Eleven friends of Ocean's" (even though there are ten people in the crew besides Ocean). Ditto for the sequels, even though not everyone in the list can be accurately called a friend of Ocean's.
** It became ''La gran estafa'' ("The big scam") in Latin America. The same goes with their sequels, ''Ocean's Twelve'' and ''Ocean's Thirteen'' in Latin América, named respectively ''La nueva gran estafa'' ("The new big scam") and ''Ahora son 13'' ("They are now 13").
** In Brazil, the film became "Onze Homens e um Segredo" (Eleven Men and a Secret), the sequels became "Doze Homens e Outro Segredo" (Twelve Men and Another Secret) and "Treze Homens e um Novo Segredo" (Thirteen Men and a New Secret), and the SoftReboot became "Oito Mulheres e um Segredo" (Eight Women and a Secret).
* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Creator/StevenSoderbergh named ''Ocean's Twelve'' as his favourite in the trilogy.
* DawsonCasting: A possible example with Linus. His exact age is never stated, but he's clearly meant to be quite a bit younger than 30, which was Matt Damon's age at the time the first film was released.
* DeletedRole:
** Creator/EllenBarkin, who would play Abigail Sponder in ''Thirteen'', actually shot a small cameo for ''Twelve''. It was ultimately cut. It can however be seen on the Blu-ray release (under the additional footage section, the "Meet the Team, Again" sequence).
** Creator/PeterFonda filmed a cameo as Bobby Caldwell for ''Twelve'' that got cut. The role was [[TheOtherMarty recast]] with Creator/BobEinstein for ''Thirteen''.
* DistancedFromCurrentEvents: Originally, the hotel demolished by Benedict was going to be the New York, New York. However, this was quickly changed to the fictional Xanadu hotel shortly before the theatrical release due to the 9/11 attacks.
* DoingItForTheArt: The entire cast worked for less than their usual salaries to bring down the budget.
* DolledUpInstallment: The story of ''Twelve'' was taken from ''Honor Among Thieves'', a screenplay treatment written by George Nolfi that was originally intended to be a Creator/JohnWoo vehicle. When it was decided that ''Ocean's Eleven'' was going to have a sequel, Creator/WarnerBros. asked Nolfi to rewrite the script, adjusting it for the Ocean's Eleven characters. The role of the protagonist was split between Danny (master thief), Rusty (relationship with Europol agent), and (to a certain extent) Linus.
* DuelingStarsMovie: In both the original Creator/RatPack and modern versions.
* DVDCommentary: On the director and writer track for ''Ocean's Eleven'', they comment a few times on the fact that there are probably only three people who bother to listen to these things.
* FakeBrit: American Creator/DonCheadle plays Basher Tarr with poor-Cockney abandon, complete with jokes about its incomprehensible rhyming slang.
--> '''Basher:''' So unless we intend to do this job in Reno, we're in barney. (''everyone looks confused'') Barney Rubble. (''still confused'') Trouble!
* HideYourPregnancy: Creator/JuliaRoberts was pregnant during production of ''Twelve'' so Tess wears a a lot of loose shirts and baggy coats [[SubvertedTrope until]] she has to pose as "Julia Roberts" with a PillowPregnancy (which is actually just Julia's real belly).
* HostilityOnTheSet: By all accounts, Creator/JuliaRoberts and Creator/CatherineZetaJones were so hostile on the set of ''Twelve'' that they eventually had to be kept completely separate, never even being on the set at the same time. It's perhaps and why ''neither'' actress returned for ''Thirteen''.
* MissingTrailerScene: There is a scene in the trailer in which Danny asks the parole-board members how much they earn a year. This was cut from the movie because the director talked to some actual parole-board members and they all agreed that if a prospective parolee were to make that comment, he'd be denied parole.
* MultipleLanguagesSameVoiceActor: Creator/VincentCassel provided his own voiceover for the French dub.
* NoStuntDouble: In ''Ocean's Twelve'', François Toulour (Creator/VincentCassel) practices a form of UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}} to dodge the lasers in the museum's LaserHallway. Cassel is a Capoeira practitioner and did the stunts himself.
* OneForTheMoneyOneForTheArt: Steven Soderbergh agreed to the movies in exchange for smaller projects to get greenlit.
* PropRecycling: The wig Rusty uses while posing as a doctor in ''Eleven'' is the same one that was used by Creator/MikeMyers during his rehearsals of ''Film/AustinPowersInternationalManOfMystery''.
* RealLifeRelative: Writer Ted Griffin's father can be seen standing behind Reuben during the boxing match scene.
* RealitySubtext: In ''Twelve'', Linus asks Rusty if he can if he can play a bigger part in the con. Creator/MattDamon initially declined to return because he felt his part was too small. He changed his mind, but having just got off ''Film/TheBourneSupremacy'', he asked for his role to be reduced, but his request was denied.
* RemakeCameo: Creator/AngieDickinson makes a cameo, as she did in the original.
* SerendipityWritesThePlot: After the heist, the crew was originally supposed to peel away from each other as they walk down the street. Creator/StevenSoderbergh couldn't figure out the right way to stage it and at one point he walked over to the fountain railing and stared at the water while trying to figure out what to do. Then he got the idea to change the scene to a fountain.
* ThrowItIn:
** Creator/DonCheadle covering his "special place" and turning it away as he sets off the EMP.
** The fountain scene at the end was partly improvised. Creator/StevenSoderbergh wanted Creator/BradPitt to leave first, and Creator/CarlReiner to leave last. The other actors were instructed to line up and leave whenever it felt natural.
** Creator/CaseyAffleck and Creator/ScottCaan improvised some of their lines in the movie.
** Creator/BernieMac improvised some of his lines, including "You want me to get on the table and dance?"
** Creator/CatherineZetaJones falling at the very end of ''Twelve'' was unscripted.
* UncreditedRole:
** Despite having a major role, Creator/DonCheadle is uncredited in ''Eleven''. This was due to a dispute over his billing. He wanted an above-title billing alongside Creator/GeorgeClooney, Creator/MattDamon, and Creator/BradPitt. When he was denied, he refused to be credited at all. He received above-title billing in the sequels, however.
** Creator/AlbertFinney as Gaspar [=LeMarc=] in ''Twelve''.
* VacationDearBoy: Most of the cast admits they did ''Twelve'' just to have a nice overseas vacation. Specifically, they just wanted to get paid to party at Creator/GeorgeClooney's villa. Creator/BradPitt said he thought it was funny that Creator/CatherineZetaJones "[[TookTheBadFilmSeriously thought we were making a movie]]."
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/BrettRatner was to direct at one point.
** Creator/StevenSoderbergh originally wanted to make the entire film black and white, but changed his mind when [[ExecutiveMeddling the studio warned they would cut the film's budget if he did so]].
** Creator/JonFavreau was initially offered to write the screenplay for the film but he turned it down.
** Creator/MarkWahlberg was originally offered the role of Linus but opted to do ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes2001'' instead. Creator/JohnnyDepp was also offered the role but turned it down.
** [[Creator/LukeWilson Luke]] and Creator/OwenWilson were originally considered for the roles of Virgil and Turk, Creator/DannyGlover was originally going to play Frank, and Creator/BillMurray was supposed to make a cameo as a lounge singer, but they were all busy with ''Film/TheRoyalTenenbaums''. Creator/TheCoenBrothers were also considered.
** Creator/TheCoenBrothers were considered to play the Molloy twins, but they declined.
** Creator/EwanMcGregor was originally considered for the role of Basher, but he was busy with ''Film/BlackHawkDown''. Creator/LennieJames and Creator/MikeMyers were also considered.
** Creator/SydneyPollack, Creator/DonRickles and Dennis Franz were originally considered for the role of Reuben. Creator/AlanArkin was originally cast, but had to drop out due to a family crisis.
** Creator/WarrenBeatty, Creator/MichaelDouglas, and Creator/RalphFiennes were each originally considered for the role of Benedict.
** Creator/JetLi was considered for The Amazing Yen.
** The scene where Danny calls his parole officer was originally supposed to be in a crowded deli. However, the assistant director went outside and saw a great shot that included the Trump Plaza sign.
** In his first scene, Rusty is actually facing a large mural of Music/FrankSinatra. In an attempt to distance the movie from the original 1960 version, however, the director decided not to show the mural.
** Creator/RickyGervais turned down the role of Basher's engineer in ''Twelve'', saying, "Why say a couple of lines opposite Creator/BradPitt when I could be playing leads back home?"
** The original ending for Soderbegh's ''Eleven'' had [[spoiler: Tess rejecting Danny even after the heist, but was changed for a more upbeat ending]], as well as [[spoiler: Benedict's manager realizing how the heist happened, but was switched to Benedict to portray the character sharper.]]
** In the rough working draft of ''Twelve'', Creator/ClintEastwood was penciled in for a cameo appearance to play the role of Bobby Caldwell.
** The original script for ''Thirteen'' contained scenes with Tess and Isabel. However, Creator/JuliaRoberts and Creator/CatherineZetaJones didn't want to participate in the movie without a significant part in the plot, which the script could not accommodate. This is referenced early in the movie when Ocean mentions it's 'not their fight' when questioned as to their absence by others in the group.
** Creator/TopherGrace was unable to return for ''Thirteen'' due to reshoots on ''Film/SpiderMan3'': he recalls that his planned cameo would have involved him having a conversation with Rusty while holding an Asian baby and never addressing where the baby came from.
** Creator/PeterFonda, who had appeared in a deleted scene in ''Twelve'', was slated to reprise his role as Bobby in ''Thirteen'', but his work on ''Film/GhostRider2007'' prevented him from doing so.
* WordOfSaintPaul: According to Creator/AndyGarcia, Benedict has a cane in ''Twelve'' because in his anger he kicked something so hard he hurt his foot.
* WriteWhoYouKnow: Screenwriter Ted Griffin based Virgil and Turk's constant bickering on fights he had with his own brother when they were younger.
* WrittenInInfirmity: Creator/JuliaRoberts was pregnant during the filming of ''Twelve'', so the script was tweaked to have Tess impersonate a pregnant Robert.
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