I know the odds of two 2024 movies with Ocean’s Eleven cast members reuniting for an action packed caper of criminality aren’t that sparse. But at the same time, having two different Apple Original Films to look forward to that offer such delights feels like a jackpot of some sort to me.
Not too long after the first Wolfs trailer dropped, we’ve now got our first look at Casey Affleck and Matt Damon getting their hands dirty with The Instigators. And if I’m being honest, it’s the second Ocean’s reunion I didn’t know I needed; courtesy of Damon and Affleck’s shenanigans.
The basic concept of this movie pairs our protagonists Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) together for what’s supposed to be a simple job. As they’re hired to steal a bunch of money during an election night shindig held by the mayor (Ron Perlman), it all seems pretty simple enough. But as you’ll note through the wisecracks, car accidents, and inadequate number of zip ties…that’s not exactly an accurate description of the events that transpire in The Instigators.
It has to be noted that The Instigators has one hell of a cast up its sleeve. In addition to the Casey Affleck/Matt Damon pairing, we’ve got the likes of Michael Stuhlbarg, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Hong Chau all mixing it up. To see any one of those names in a cast list feels like a win, but to have them all assembled in this crazy crime comedy has me really excited for the possibilities.
Ms. Chau's deadpan skills in particular are of note, as her abilities with playing the straight person to the zanier talent in the room have always been top notch. The way that Hong plays a line like "No shit" in The Instigators trailer is a welcomed reminded of that fact, while also making me think she'd be a killer cast member in a future Elmore Leonard adaptation.
What’s better is that this new comedy adventure is another huge reteaming, thanks to director Doug Liman’s position in the director’s chair. As he and Matt Damon helped make espionage movie history with 2002’s The Bourne Identity, this new movie is another chance for these previous collaborators to smash some more cars, with a potential for some really choice one-liners.
Though it’s also worth mentioning that Liman’s success in the streaming space as of late only bolsters The Instigators’ pedigree further. I’m one of the many people who had a total blast with Prime Video’s insanely successful Road House remake, so getting Doug Liman behind the wheel of this tale of smashing, grabbing, and quipping only makes sense.
The Instigators offers a lot to like, and we'll only have to wait a couple months to see if it pays off. The film will premiere for Apple TV+ subscription holders this summer, as it's set to debut on August 9th. That's not too far off from Wolfs' September 20th bow in theaters; which leaves me with one final question to ponder. If both of these films do well, is there a chance that we might see a crossover uniting these two pairs of Ocean's Eleven alums?
