George Clooney and Brad Pitthave often shared the screen together throughout their careers, bringing their real-life friendship into their work. The duo famously starred in Steven Soderbergh’sOcean’strilogy together, but this isn’t their only collaboration. They have also worked together on a documentary, a televised play, and some other critically acclaimed movies. In 2024, Clooney and Pitt led thecast ofWolfs, a crime movie by Jon Watts that features the two stars as lone fixers tasked with the same job, forcing them to work together.
It’s been 17 years since Clooney and Pitt signed off from theOcean’sfranchise, but Clooney recently announced in press forWolfsthatOcean’s Fourteenis currently being developedin very early stages. While that doesn’t confirm it will happen, it shows thatClooney and Pitt are still interested in collaborating more. Not to mention, aWolfssequelseems to be in development at Apple TV+, with both stars and the director hoping to return.
Brad Pitt is listed in the credits forIF,so he is technically one of Clooney’s co-stars, but the truth isn’t so straightforward. George Clooney voices Spaceman, an imaginary friend with the appearance of an astronaut, possibly as a subtle reference to his role inGravity.Brad Pitt’s role inIFis much weirder. He is credited as Keith, a silent and invisible imaginary friend with a habit of tripping Ryan Reynolds’ character.The character of Keith is a reference to Brad Pitt’s cameo in another Ryan Reynolds movie. He plays Vanisher inDeadpool 2, an invisible superhero who shows his face for a split second.
Brad Pitt is listed in the credits forIF,so he is technically one of Clooney’s co-stars, but the truth isn’t so straightforward.
Whether this credit counts as another collaboration between Pitt and Clooney is questionable at best. It’s more of an in-joke for Ryan Reynolds fans who know about the joke inDeadpool 2.Regardless,IFboasts an all-star cast with or without Pitt. The cast hasn’t translated into too many positive reviews, however, with critics despairing over the complex and meandering plot.IFstill has an earnest sweetness to it, and it can connect with anyone in search of their inner child, but it’s not the most original children’s story by any stretch.
8His Way (2011)
His Wayis a documentary based on the life of Jerry Weintraub, a film producer and talent agent with a long legacy in Hollywood.Brad Pitt and George Clooney give interviews as two of the many talents who worked with Weintraubover the years, and the documentary also features Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, and even George H. W. Bush. It’s apt that Pitt and Clooney both show up inHis Way,since Weintraub was pivotal in launching Steven Soderbergh’sOcean’s Trilogy.Weintraub even appears as an extra in all threeOcean’smovies.
It’s apt that Pitt and Clooney both show up inHis Way,since Weintraub was pivotal in launching Steven Soderbergh’sOcean’s Trilogy.
His Wayis an interesting look into the life of a Hollywood icon who most people won’t know about. Even for those who aren’t familiar with Weintraub or his work,His Wayprovides a peek behind the curtain to show the hectic and constantly changing movie industry. Weintraub wasn’t just a film producer, though.The title ofHis Wayis a reference to Weintraub’s work with Frank Sinatra, and he also rubbed shoulders with Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, and many more legendary musicians.His Wayis a light and entertaining portrait of a dazzling personality.
78 (2012)
8is a filmed play based on the landmark case that ruled that Proposition 8, which made gay marriage illegal in California, was unconstitutional. Written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who previously wroteMilkandJ. Edgar,8uses as much dialogue from the court transcripts as possible. The proceedings were filmed, but they have been locked away, legally barred from seeing the light of day. Instead,8tries to recreate the case with as much fidelity as possible, although there are some entirely fictionalized scenes spliced in which take place outside the courtroom.
8is a filmed play, based on the landmark case which ruled that Proposition 8, which made gay marriage illegal in California, was unconstitutional.
Brad Pitt plays Judge Vaughn Walker, and George Clooney plays one of the lawyers arguing in favor of gay marriage. The rest of the cast is just as impressive, with Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Sheen and John C. Reilly. Despite the fact that they are all carrying their scripts around on stage, they still manage to deliver some powerful moments.8also has a great sense of humor. By simply reframing some of the absurd statements from the courtroom, the proceedings turn into a comedy.8gives audiences permission to laugh at the paradoxical bigotry of the argumentsagainst gay marriage.
6Wolfs (2004)
The problem withWolfsis it just doesn’t materialize into the type of movie these two stars deserve to be making together.
As for feature-length movies starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt,Wolfsis the worst option available. It’s not necessarily that it’s a bad movie; it’s just that, for the first time seeing these two movie stars on screen together in sixteen years, it’s rather underwhelming. For a movie that relies so heavily on the star power of two of the greatest movie stars of their generation,Wolfsshould be a lot more enjoyable. It even has a fun crime movie genre premise that feels like it could be a throwback to the types of movies made in the 2000s, but it falls short in almost every regard.
It would be impossible to point a camera at George Clooney and Brad Pitt and not getanythinggood. The two stars radiate so much charm and talent that even with a worse script, they’d still be fun to watch. And again,Wolfsisn’t bad.There are some hilarious moments that work really well, particularly between the two leads when they’re allowed to banter and poke fun at each other, which is exactly what one would hope for in a comedy starring the two. The problem withWolfsis it just doesn’t materialize into the type of movie these two stars deserve to be making together.
After the exhilarating heights ofOcean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelveis a predictably difficult sequel. There’s a good reason why heist movies don’t usually have sequels, since the big score feels like such a triumphant finale. After Danny and his team get away with their audacious Las Vegas job at the end ofOcean’s Eleven,there’s no need for a continuation of the story.Ocean’s Twelvewas created due to the financial success and the popularity of the first movie, and not because the characters had much more life in them.
After the exhilarating heights ofOcean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelveis a predictably difficult sequel.
It would have been easy to try and repeat the same formula from the first movie, butSteven Soderbergh takes some admirable swings inOcean’s Twelve.The story follows the gang across some exotic European locations as they attempt to pull off a couple of seemingly impossible heists while competing with another master thief. Pitt’s character gets a new love interest, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, but the focus remains on his dynamic with Clooney’s Danny Ocean.Ocean’s Twelvewas a low point fortheOcean’sfranchise, as none of the heists feel as satisfying or intelligent.
4Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
Ocean’s Thirteenmarked a return to form for theOcean’sfranchise, even if it didn’t quite recapture the brilliance of Steven Soderbergh’s first movie.The final movie in the trilogy takes things back to basics, with a single heist in Las Vegas. Still, there are a few fun twists to separate it fromOcean’s Eleven.The most obvious of these is the addition of Al Pacino as the new villain. He delivers a characteristically splashy performance, and he seems to have a lot of fun when playing the bad guy.
Ocean’s Thirteenhas enough fun banter and exciting action to make it a crowd-pleasing end to the trilogy.
Pacino’s role doesn’t quite make up for the absence of Julia Roberts, however. Tess goes from being the object of Danny’s desires in the first movie to being a part of the team in the sequel. It would have been interesting to see her taking on even more responsibility inOcean’s Thirteen, but Soderbergh had other ideas.Ocean’s Thirteenstill has enough fun banter and exciting action to make it a crowd-pleasing end to the trilogy. After the modest success ofOcean’s 8,the franchise is being kept alive with anOcean’s Elevenprequel starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mindis one ofGeorge Clooney’s rare directorial efforts. Like most of the other movies he has directed over the years,Clooney gives himself a role inConfessions of a Dangerous Mind,and his directorial debut features Brad Pitt too.Confessions of a Dangerous Mindis based on the autobiography of Chuck Barris, the TV personality who createdThe Gong ShowandThe Dating Game,as well as claiming to be an assassin for the CIA. These claims have been denied by the CIA, and they are generally believed to be nothing more than an entertaining fantasy.
Clooney injects a lot of humor into the unbelievable story, with a big helping hand from screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.
Whether Barris’ story is true or not,Confessions of a Dangerous Mindadapts his autobiography as if it’s a factual document.Sam Rockwell delivers a fantastic performanceas Barris, swinging between his charming TV persona and his cold-blooded second life as a hitman. Clooney injects a lot of humor into the unbelievable story, with a big helping hand from screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.Confessions of a Dangerous Mindsteers clear of the debate over Barris’ honesty. Instead, it plays out his fantasy on the big screen with all the glamour and excitement that he could have hoped for.
2Burn After Reading (2008)
George Clooney has made several movies with the Coen brothers, includingO Brother, Where Art ThouandHail, Caesar!Brad Pitt joined him forBurn After Reading,a farcical spy story featuring a couple of dimwitted gym employees who stumble onto some files which they believe contain some top-secret government information. Pitt plays a meathead who thinks that he can play the game of espionage, while Clooney is a seasoned professional who represents the glamour-free reality of being a government agent.Burn After Reading’s brilliant cast also includes Frances McDormand, John Malkovich and J. K. Simmons.
The death scene is a great punch line, and a sly meta joke at the expense of anyone excited about seeing Pitt and Clooney’s dynamic.
Burn After Readingisn’t one of the verybest Coen brothers movies, but it has a lot of good qualities. LikeFargoandThe Big Lebowski, Burn After Readingfeatures a complex criminal plot, with plenty of eccentric characters bouncing off each other. Pitt and Clooney’s characters don’t cross paths until Clooney finds Pitt hiding in a closet, and he immediately, reflexively shoots him in the head. The death scene is a great punch line anda sly meta joke at the expense of anyone excited about seeing Pitt and Clooney’s dynamic.
Ocean’s Elevenis one of thebest heist moviesof all time, and it inspired plenty of imitators throughout the 2000s and 2010s. George Clooney and Brad Pitt set out to do the impossible – remaking a Rat Pack movie with even more style – and they pulled it off.Clooney and Pitt’s dynamic is never more enjoyable or more aspirational than it is inOcean’s Eleven.Danny Ocean and Rusty have a friendship that allows them to finish each other’s sentences. Although the other nine members of the gang have their own charms, none of them sparkle quite like the lead duo.
Steven Soderbergh’s slick direction oozes cool, butOcean’s Elevenhas enough substance to go with its style.
Steven Soderbergh’s slick direction oozes cool, butOcean’s Elevenhas enough substance to go with its style. The twisty story sets up an elaborate heist with Rube Goldberg-level intricacy. It still presents plenty of surprises in its third act, as twists pile up on top of each other in a beautifully choreographed but breathlessly chaotic finale.Ocean’s Elevenhas enough humor and action to keep the pace moving throughout, and it all adds up to a riotously entertaining experience.It’s exciting to see Pitt and Clooney back together forWolfs,but beating the appeal ofOcean’s Elevenis a tall order.
