FRANCE: The A-list cast of Ocean's Thirteen create a frenzy at the Cannes Film Festival as they arrive to promote the latest "Ocean's" sequel

Record ID: 851957

  • Title: FRANCE: The A-list cast of Ocean's Thirteen create a frenzy at the Cannes Film Festival as they arrive to promote the latest "Ocean's" sequel
  • Date: 28th May 2007
  • Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 24, 2007) (REUTERS) (GOOD SHOTS OF GEORGE CLOONEY, BRAD PITT AND OCEANS THIRTEEN CAST) ACTOR DON CHEADLE GETTING OUT OF CAR ACTOR MATT DAMON GETTING OUT OF CAR ACTOR GEORGE CLOONEY ARRIVING AND WALKING OVER TO FANS TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS ACTOR BRAD PITT SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS CLOONEY SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS FANS BEHIND FENCE VARIOUS OF CLOONEY WALKING AROUND AND SPEAKING TO FANS AND JOURNALISTS ACTOR ANDY GARCIA ARRIVING ACTRESS ELLEN BARKIN POSING FOR PHOTOS THE CAST MEMBERS WALKING UP STAIRS, PITT WAVING AT FANS ON THE SIDE
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2007 13:00
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  • Location: France
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  • Country: France
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  • Reuters ID: LVA8OMEA5CJ6TVZL9U7E1WSI71TB
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  • Story Text: The men of "Ocean's Thirteen", Brad Pitt, George Clooney and their crew, created a frenzy at the Cannes Film Festival as they arrived to present the latest sequel in the franchise.
    "Ocean's Thirteen" debuts at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday (May 24) and the movie stars Clooney and Pitt as suave con men who rob casinos is as easy-going as the blockbusters preceding it -- "Ocean's Eleven" and "Ocean's Twelve".
    The cast members were bombarded with autograph requests and questions from the media as they arrived at the festival photocall and news conference.
    They gave tongue-in-cheek responses to dispel any impression that "Ocean's" aspired to the art house cinema that was Cannes's trademark.
    "This script, for instance, I think, may go down probably in the history books as one of the great screenplays of all time so I think we've raised the bar back to the time of the golden age, wouldn't you say Steve? This film was basically a cry for peace. Don't you think so guys? It was the most important. You know, there are an awful lot of good scripts out there right now and there was a tremendous amount in the golden age too. You always get lucky with a good script, there are not an awful lot of Paddy Chayefsky's out there any more," joked George Clooney.
    When asked about a scene he plays with Oprah Winfrey towards the end of the movie, actor Andy Garcia replied: "I had to sleep with Oprah in order to get on to the show."
    The first movie delighted audiences and raked in 450 million U.S. dollars (USD) at box offices worldwide. While some fans and critics were disappointed with "Twelve," it nevertheless reaped a sizeable 363 million (USD).
    "Ocean's Thirteen" sticks closely to the formula of the first two: a lot of laughs, some silly gags and a big heist. But there is a twist: the conmen are not in it for the money.
    The cast members made sure to steer away from any serious discussion at the news conference and only director Steven Soderbergh managed to get serious when it came to a question about the character played by Chinese acrobat Qin Shaobo.
    A reporter asked Soderbergh about his simplistic portrayal of the Chinese in the film, to which the director responded by saying: "I think the movie is an equal opportunities offender. I don't think anybody in the film is left out of being ridiculed. In the first film the set up was they needed an acrobat to perform a certain duty in the film. The running joke that everybody understands what Shaobo is saying, I think, is one of my favourite things in the three films. It could have been somebody from any culture that had that joke. It's sort of like Chewbacca from Star Wars, he talks all the time and everybody acts like they know what he is saying, that's just the joke. So when ever we are in a situation where somebody is asking to explain why something is funny, then we are dead."
    Qin himself responded by saying that the movie is just light entertainment.
    "Ocean's Thirteen" receives its world premiere at Cannes later on Thursday. It will go on general release in early June.
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