History Trivia / OceansEleven

* TalkingToHimself:
** 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.

** Creator/MarkWahlberg was originally considered for the role of Linus but opted to do ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes2001'' instead. Creator/JohnnyDepp was also considered.

** 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/GhostRider'' prevented him from doing so.

* TalkingToHimself: 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.

** Creator/SydneyPollack, Creator/DonRickles and Dennis Fraz were originally considered for the role of Reuben. Creator/AlanArkin was originally cast, but had to drop out due to a family crisis.

** Creator/PeterFonda filmed a cameo as Bobby Caldwell for ''Twelve'' that got cut.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Creator/GeorgeClooney is on the record as stating there will never be another ''Ocean's'' movie since Creator/BernieMac has died (joined twelve years later by Creator/CarlReiner), at least not with the ''original'' crew. A spinoff, ''Film/OceansEight'', focusing on Danny's sister Debbie (played by Creator/SandraBullock) was released in 2018.

** The reaction shots of Terry Benedict 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.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: In ''Eleven'', after Danny is released he goes to the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, the property has been closed since 2014. The Parking Garage that reads "Trump Plaza" still stands but has the letters removed and is used as a regular parking garage. During one of the Vegas flyover shots, the Stardust can be seen, it was demolished in 2006.

** In Russia, the film became "Eleven friends of Ocean's". Ditto for the sequels, even though not everyone in the list can be accurately called a friend of Ocean's.

* DyeingForYourArt: The entire cast worked for less than their usual salaries to bring down the budget.

** Creator/CatherineZetaJones at the very end was unscripted.

* SerendiptyWritesThePlot: 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.

* HideYourPregnancy: The script for ''Twelve'' had to be reworked to cover Creator/JuliaRoberts' pregnancy.

* DolledUpInstallment: ''Twelve'' started out life as a stand-alone heist flick about two dueling master thieves, and was turned into an ''Ocean's'' installment when the first film's massive popularity required a sequel as quick as possible. The role of the protagonist was split between Danny (master thief), Rusty (relationship with Europol agent), and (to a certain extent) Linus.

** Creator/ElliotGould suggested that Reuben would smoke cigars and wear gold necklaces.

* TheCastShowoff: Creator/VincentCassel is a fantastic UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}} practitioner. So is his character, François Toulour.

* InspirationForTheWork: Screenwriter Ted Griffin was inspired by ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960'' and ''Film/TheGreatEscape''. He liked the way the men in those movies had a shorthand with each other that only they understood.

** 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.

** The fountain scene at the end was partly improvised. Creator/StevenSoderbergh wanted Creator/BradPitt to leave first, and Carl Reiner to leave last. The other actors were instructed to line up and leave whenever it felt natural.
* 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/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/EwanMcGregor was originally considered for the role of Basher, but he was busy with ''Film/BlackHawkDown''.

** 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.

* 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 one of the reasons the film is a SophomoreSlump, and why ''neither'' actress returned for ''Thirteen''.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Creator/GeorgeClooney is on the record as stating there will never be another ''Ocean's'' movie since Creator/BernieMac has died, at least not with the ''original'' crew. A spinoff, ''Film/OceansEight'', focusing on Danny's sister Debbie (played by Creator/SandraBullock) was released in 2018.