Two of Apple’s upcoming original films are finally delivering the Ocean’s reunion I’ve been waiting for, in a way. Apple has steadily increased its slate of original programming in recent years with its 2019 coming-of-age drama CODA winning Best Picture at the 2022 Academy Awards. Apple has recently produced Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated Killers of the Flower Moon as well as Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon and Matthew Vaughn’s star-studded spy comedy Argylle. AppleTV+ will soon offer even more outstanding original films such as Fly Me to the Moon, a romantic space-themed comedy starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson.

The celebrated Ocean’s franchise has not quite returned to the glory of 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and many more. The classic heist thriller has become a staple of the franchise, one that has been imitated and referenced countless times even by its own good but not as outstanding sequels Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007). The upcoming Ocean’s 11 prequel movie is rumored to star Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, but two of Apple’s new releases should make plenty of Ocean’s Eleven fans like me happy in the meantime.

Apple TV+ Is Reuniting 4 Major Ocean’s Actors For Upcoming Movies

Clooney & Pitt and Damon & Affleck reunite in separate films

Two highly anticipated Apple original thrillers will be hitting theaters in the summer of 2024, with both films being released within a span of a few months. The Instigators is an upcoming heist thriller starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck which will be released in theaters on August 2, 2024, and will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on August 9, 2024. Wolfs is an upcoming psychological thriller starring other Ocean’s Eleven alumni George Clooney and Brad Pitt that is set to hit theaters on September 20, 2024. Wolfs will also be available to stream exclusively on Apple TV+ on an unspecified date.

The Instigators is based on an original screenplay written by Oscar-winner Casey Affleck and will take place in his home state of Massachusetts. Both Ben Affleck and Damon, famous for their Boston-based films such as Good Will Hunting, The Departed, and The Town, are producers on The Instigators, which Doug Liman (Road House, American Made, Edge of Tomorrow) directed. Wolfs, written and directed by Jon Watts of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Far from Home acclaim, follows Pitt and Clooney’s characters as two lone wolf fixers assigned to the same job.

What The Instigators & Wolfs Have In Common

Both are thrillers and feature mini-reunions of Ocean’s cast members

Both The Instigators and Wolfs feature mini reunions dating back to the days of the 2000’s Ocean’s trilogy. Damon and Casey Affleck notably both appeared onscreen together in Good Will Hunting and co-wrote the 2002 adventure drama Gerry with Gus Van Sant, starring in that movie as well. Outside of their collaboration on the Ocean’s trilogy, Affleck and Damon also both starred in two Christopher Nolan movies despite not appearing onscreen together in either, Interstellar (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023). Similar to the Ocean’s movies, The Instigators is listed as a true heist thriller with elements of comedy.

As for Pitt and Clooney, it’s been more than 15 years since the leading men have starred in a movie together, with the majority of their shared filmography belonging to the Ocean’s franchise. Pitt and Clooney both followed up their Ocean’s Thirteen appearances in 2007 with 2008’s Burn After Reading, a celebrated dark comedy from the legendary Coen Brothers (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country For Old Men). Considered more of a psychological thriller than a heist thriller like The Instigators and the Ocean’s movies, Wolfs still promises to feature a combative yet hilarious dynamic between Pitt and Clooney based on its trailer alone.

Why The Instigators & Wolfs Are Perfect For Ocean’s 11 Fans

Both films should have a great mix of thrills and laughs

Other than the two great reunions Apple has put together for fans of the Ocean’s trilogy, The Instigators and Wolfs look to be hand-crafted for fans of the Ocean’s films based on their anticipated mix of thrills and laughs. Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow did a fantastic job of blending action with comedy, which is a great sign for The Instigators, and the exceptional blend of action and humor in Jon Watts’ Spider-Man movies speaks for themselves. While Clooney, Pitt, Damon, and Affleck, likely won’t be leaning too heavily on the action elements of their respective thrillers, both The Instigators and Wolfs look to be making fans of the Ocean’s movies proud thanks to Apple.