After turning up his nose at doing television, Noah Wyle’s career has been, well, mostly television. The Emmy-winning actor has gone from ER to Leverage: Redemption to now The Pitt on the 2026 TV schedule, and many more, with several films under his belt. He’s done a lot on the big and small screens, but there were actually a couple of roles he had to turn down because of ER, and this includes a reunion with George Clooney.

Even though Wyle starred on ER as Dr. John Carter for most of ER’s 15-season run, Clooney bowed out at the end of Season 5 as Dr. Doug Ross to pursue his film career. While there have definitely been some actors who have made film and television work together, sometimes it’s easier to balance one and not the other, like what Clooney did.

In Wyle’s case, he stuck around on ER for a long time and it hurt his chances to expand his career. He was asked on the Still Here Hollywood Podcast if there were any roles that he wanted that he didn’t get, and he revealed two big ones that he couldn’t do because of the hit medical drama that would have included a reunion between Carter and Doug:

It’s definitely disappointing to know that we could have gotten more of Clooney and Wyle together on-screen in completely different roles, and the fact that Clooney even offered him a part in 2005’s Good Night, and Good Luck shows just how close they had gotten in those first five seasons. Luckily, the two remain close today, and even though Clooney may not be appearing on The Pitt any time soon, there have been some mini ER reunions, which are better than nothing. If anything, we can see more of Carter and Doug on ER with an HBO Max subscription and a Hulu subscription.

And Saving Private Ryan is another big one that would have definitely been a game-changer, but it just didn’t work out because of a particular show. However, Wyle doesn’t seem too torn up about the roles he had to pass on because of how great they eventually turned out:

Just like with Good Night, and Good Luck, it’s disappointing to know that Wyle was close to playing the titular soldier in Saving Private Ryan, which eventually went to Matt Damon. Apparently, that wasn’t even the only role that Wyle was offered in the critically acclaimed film, meaning that they really wanted him:

It’s hard not to think about the “what ifs?” when it comes to roles because if Wyle had done Good Night, and Good Luck or Saving Private Ryan or any other projects he almost did but couldn’t because of ER, who knows how much would have changed. If Wyle followed in Clooney’s footsteps and left ER earlier than he had, a lot would have been different.

Of course, Wyle doesn’t have any ill will towards the outcome because there’s nothing he can do to change it, and he knows that the films turned out phenomenal. He also seems to love doing television, so some things just work out for the better.

Amal Clooney’s life took an unexpected turn when she met George Clooney back in 2013. The two fell in love quickly and got married a little over a year and a half later. While Amal was already an accomplished human rights lawyer, representing clients in high profile, international cases, public interest in her personal life was something new for the philanthropist. She is now opening up about this immense change and how she initially felt about the attention.

During a recent Cartier Dialogues event in Bangkok, Clooney opened up about her feelings on fame when she married the Oscar winner. She definitely knew there was a newfound interest in her personal life, which was unique for her because up until that point, much of the focus had been on her professional life, and myriad of accomplishments in the human rights sector. She also was able to keep her work life and personal life completely separate, but that all changed very quickly. She explained (via People):

I can understand how that would be a hard situation to navigate, especially given the lawyer was marrying someone like George Clooney. Before he tied the knot with Amal, the Ocean’s Eleven star was consistently at the center of tabloid gossip involving his dating life. He previously stated that he never thought he’d get married, and those comments seemingly added to the public's interest when he decided to marry Amal.

Clearly, the relationship is working out, as the Clooneys welcomed twins in 2017, and Amal has been candid about how George stepped up to the plate when they were born. The Clooneys have a seemingly solid, blissful marriage that has lasted over 11 years despite the amount of attention they’ve attracted. Amal Clooney also says she feels much more content with the fame aspect now, explaining:

The Clooneys have seemingly navigated it quite well, too. Both have continued to have booming professional lives as a couple and external of their relationship. Ultimately, they combined what they were both good at and created the Clooney Foundation for Justice together, where they provide free legal services to cases surrounding women’s rights.

Independently, George Clooney continues to have a thriving acting career, with projects like the 2025 Netflix film Jay Kelly and Ticket to Paradise under his belt in the last few years as well as a Broadway run. He also continued directing films like Boys in the Boat and The Tender Bar. Amal, on the other hand, has continued her work in human rights and, last year, she established The Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice, which is harnessing the power of AI to expand access to justice around the world.

Few couples are as impressive as the Clooneys, who continue to prove that you can have a robust personal life and professional life, without sacrificing either sectors. Amal’s comments also show the importance of prioritizing one's own wants and needs over the potential media scrutiny and, for years, she has demonstrated how to navigate the public eye and exposure flawlessly.

It kind of felt like everyone was in The Devil Wears Prada 2. From fashion icons to athletes to musicians and more, the list of cameos is long and legendary. However, one name I didn’t expect to be connected to this project on the 2026 movie schedule was George Clooney. However, he is, in fact, featured in this film (sort of), and now he’s shared his thoughts on his special cameo.

While George Clooney isn't in The Devil Wears Prada 2, his villa on Lake Como can be seen. That’s how he makes a cameo in this legacy sequel, and someone finally asked him about it. He, of course, had a cheeky and fun response, as he told Access Hollywood:

For context about this cameo, a portion of The Devil Wears Prada 2 takes place at Lake Como. Specifically, Andy (Anne Hathaway) and Emily (Emily Blunt) travel there to have business talks about the future of Runway. According to People, you can see Clooney’s villa during the scene where Andy and Emily are riding to their destination in a boat.

Going back to Clooney’s reaction, the interviewer asked him if this all holds special significance. That's because Emily Blunt, one of the stars of The Devil Wears Prada 2, and her and John Krasinski’s love story includes the fact that they got married at Clooney’s house.

The couple tied the knot in 2010, so the home making a cameo in this movie has even more significance. Speaking to that point, his love for that house and his friendship with Krasinski and Blunt, the Ocean’s Eleven star said:

This interview happened before the film came out. However, now I'm thrilled to report that the sequel certainly was fun to see, and both critics and audiences agreed. The Devil Wears Prada 2 got solid reviews, and it was a box office success. Now, I really hope Clooney enjoyed it too. I also hope he was able to spot his house.

Really, just when you thought The Devil Wears Prada 2 couldn’t fit one more celebrity cameo in, it managed to in a very unique way. Before the movie came out, reports about celeb appearances in this film were running rampant. Then, once it officially hit the big screen, we got to see folks like Lady Gaga, Donatella Versace, Karl-Anthony Towns, Naomi Campbell, Jenna Bush Hager, Heidi Klum and so many more make appearances.

Now, we can add George Clooney…or, well, his house, to that list too. And it’s a worthy addition, because his Lake Como villa is very iconic and well-known.

So, with that being said, you can see the star-studded cast of The Devil Wears Prada 2 and the Out of Sight actor’s villa by catching the legacy sequel in theaters now. Then, let’s all start hoping that if The Devil Wears Prada 3 ever happens, we can actually get George Clooney to appear in the film.

One of George Clooney’s most fascinating quirks is that he’s the celebrity prank master. Over the years, he’s become famous for pulling cleverly constructed jokes on his fellow Hollywood pals. Only this time around, his wife, Amal, decided to make her husband’s birthday all the more memorable by taking a page from his playbook and sweetly pulling a prank on him.

Take it from George Clooney to turn celebrity gags into an art form. From leaving his Ocean’s Twelve co-stars in a haunted house to pranking Matt Damon into wearing a tight suit, you’ve gotta bow to the king here. However, the Up in the Air’s actor’s queen would be none other than Amal, who decided to turn the tables on her husband with a sweet birthday prank of her own.

Standing by his wife, Clooney revealed at the King’s Trust 50th Anniversary Celebration (via British Vogue) exactly what that prank was:

Classic! I’m curious if those fake waiters were his celebrity chums like Brad Pitt or Matt Damon, though he sadly did not get super specific. As Amal has been married to George Clooney since 2014, she clearly knows his mischievous sense of humor well enough to humorously beat him at his own game.

Plus, the human rights lawyer is a firsthand witness to the prank wars that happen at home between Clooney and their kids when they prank their dear dad with movie props. Apparently, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Something tells me that when the Oscar winner discovered that his waiters were actually friends of his, he didn’t exactly leave them a tip. But at the King’s Trust event, Clooney did jokingly leave a tip of his own to anyone listening about pranking someone who’s above the age of 60:

You’ve gotta love George Clooney’s wit. The man is still standing, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's thinking of a payback prank for her birthday.

Keep in mind that Amal Clooney is not the only person to outrank the master of pranks. Brad Pitt once pranked the E.R. alum by sending the Italian crew of one of their Ocean’s movies a fake letter claiming the actor didn’t like to be looked in the eye. But then again, Pitt did that as sweet revenge for the time Clooney put a pot leaf bumper sticker on the back of his car that said “Fuck cops," which got him pulled over. Classic Hollywood chess match right there! Still, we know that with every prank pulled by Pitt or Amal, the love is still there.

George Clooney may have a knack for celebrity pranks, but his wife, Amal, just showed she knows how to keep him on his toes with a birthday prank of her own. One thing is clear: Amal Clooney’s got a few tricks of her own up her sleeve, learning from the master of Hollywood prank wars she comes home to every day.

Despite any and all amounts of fan-wishing and medical-drama voodoo going on behind the scenes, The Pitt Season 2 didn’t deliver any massive ER reunions to the 2026 TV schedule for star Noah Wyle, though there’s always Season 3. (And presumably an endless number of hugely popular seasons after that.) Still, maybe don’t put all your eggs in the “George Clooney cameo” basket after the actor responded to Wyle’s amusingly brutal comments about his former co-star.

This back-and-forth began some months ago, when Clooney graciously (if not entirely realistically) said in an interview that he’d reunite with Wyle on screen “in a heartbeat.” The Pitt star had a sardonic response, saying the Jay Kelly star might do it in “his final heartbeat,” with Wyle pointing out that the Oscar winner wasn’t so high on teaming up during the quieter years before The Pitt became so massively popular.

Most recently, George Clooney was asked by Yahoo Entertainment about making a potential pitt-stop appearance on the HBO Max series, and he seemed far less open to the idea, while phrasing it iin a way that put the onus back on Wyle. Here’s how he put it, via Yahoo’s Instagram post:

That’s true by all means, though I don’t think fans want to see Clooney on The Pitt because they think it’s lacking in star power or convincing performances. The medical drama’s cast has racked up awards wins and nominations, and not even the major exits that went down each season have derailed anything. Bringing the Batman and Robin star into the mix at this point in the game might just be more distracting than advantageous, though I can imagine ways to pull it off.

For one, I think it would be great to bring Clooney in as some kind of a harsh administrator who isn’t there to gain any friendships or woo any women. The actor always plays very successfully into his charming nature, but I’d love to see him be more of a monster at least once. Second, I think he’d be great as a patient whose face and identity are completely obscured, so that the performance can speak for itself without Clooney’s handsome mug being a distraction.

In any case, the Oceans franchise lead didn’t want to come across as if there was bad blood behind the scenes, and point out that the core ER squad have remained friends throughout the years, saying:

To be fair, George Clooney also turned down a return to one of the TV shows that originally put him on the map, Roseanne, when it was revived (and then morphed into The Conners). So it's not just Wyle and The Pitt that he's aiming to avoid.

Maybe if The Pitt makes that night-shift spinoff happen, Clooney could return to hospital duds to head up that show without any worries about taking the spotlight away from Wyle. Or maybe he'll just continue being rich and comfortable choosing his own projects that aren't as hectic as weekly episode tapings.

The Pitt will follow up on its Season 2 cliffhanger when Season 3 arrives via HBO Max subscription at some point in early 2027.

Back in the ‘90s, Noah Wyle came to fame as John Carter on NBC’s hit medical drama ER alongside top actors like Anthony Edwards and Julianna Margulies. Of course, it’s impossible to think about the early seasons of ER and not mention George Clooney, so now that Wyle is the star of another award-winning TV show set in a hospital — The Pitt — is there any chance of a reunion? Wyle’s response to the suggestion that Clooney would guest-star was absolutely savage.

The Pitt is nearing the end of its second season on the 2026 TV schedule (streaming with HBO Max subscription), and if you’ve been following along with this season, it comes as no surprise why actors want in on the action. Noah Wyle spoke to Greatest Hits Radio, where the host brought up his former ER co-star, saying that when asked if he’d guest star on The Pitt, George Clooney replied, “In a heartbeat.” Noah Wyle had a blunt response of his own, saying:

Unless Noah Wyle was suggesting George Clooney would come into the ER as a fatally injured character, he was quick to dismiss the idea that the Jay Kelly star would be interested in The Pitt. However, given how popular the show has been — with both critics and audiences — how would anyone pass up an opportunity?

The medical drama raked in the awards for its first season, winning Noah Wyle his first Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. The series also picked up Best Drama trophies at both ceremonies, as well as several others. Despite Wyle's curt response, the host asked him about George Clooney again, to which he said:

Noah Wyle and George Clooney have been friends for a long time — they even guest-starred on Friends together back in their ER days — so I doubt there’s any real bitterness from Wyle about not being cast in an Ocean’s movie (so far, at least; maybe Ocean's 14 will be different), but that's a pretty funny perspective.

The Pitt star previously joked that his ER castmates wouldn’t have cut it during the three-week boot camp his new scrappy ensemble endured to prepare for the HBO Max drama, but that hasn’t kept ER stars like Maura Tierney from expressing interest. However, Noah Wyle made a good point when saying that reuniting with ER co-stars or welcoming other big names might distract from the issues The Pitt is bringing awareness to.

It’s still hard to deny that it would be a treat to see George Clooney cheating his way through medical jargon again.

There’s only three hours left of the Fourth of July shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, so be sure to tune in when The Pitt continues at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays on HBO Max.

I’m sure there are plenty of folks who would go on a date with George Clooney if he were single and the opportunity presented itself. I mean, he was Sexiest Man Alive twice, and he’s got charisma to spare. However, when Sara Foster, an executive producer on Nobody Wants This, got set up with the Ocean’s Eleven star years ago, she did not want him at all.

To be clear, this story takes place a long time before Clooney and his now-wife of over a decade, Amal Clooney, were together. In fact, Sara Foster said it happened “like 30 years ago” on her podcast, The World’s First Podcast with Erin & Sara Foster. She explained her feelings about this setup too, bluntly saying:

Now, before you start dropping your jaw, hear her out. Sara Foster explained that she was “24 maybe” when her two friends set her up with Clooney, and she’s about two decades younger than him. According to her, after meeting up with him and two of her friends, she concluded that going on a date with him was a “hard no” for that reason, too.

Sara then asked her sister, Erin, if she’d heard this story before, and she said no. That is wild, you’d think this would have come up at some point. However, Erin confirmed that she had “never” heard the tale before. That led to Sara recalling her feelings about the actor at the time. She said:

Listen, there’s a time and a place for age-gap romances, and Sara made that clear. However, it was not the time, place or person for her. For context, she is 44 years old now, and Clooney is 64. That’s a full 20-year age gap, and it was something she wasn’t on board with, as she explained:

As they continued to joke about her not being into “the heartthrob of America,” Sara made it clear why that was the case. Really, it didn’t have much to do with George Clooney personally, as she explained:

Well, clearly, everything turned out fine for everyone involved here. Sara Foster and her sister Erin work on the hit show Nobody Wants This, and Season 3 is on the way. Meanwhile, Clooney released Jay Kelly last year and has made it clear that Ocean’s 14 is in the works. He and Amal are also happily married and have kids.

So, while nobody seemed to want this date, it made for one hell of a story. It also serves as a good reminder to check out both Sara Foster and George Clooney’s work, seeing as both Nobody Wants This and Jay Kelly are available with a Netflix subscription.

WARNING: There are some spoilers for Jay Kelly in this article.

2025’s Jay Kelly starring George Clooney as…well… George Clooney, features some amazing performances all around (including from the star). The film, which you can check out with a Netflix subscription, has a full complement of great supporting roles from Laura Dern, Emily Mortimer, and Adam Sandler, among many others. Sandler, especially, has been recognized for his wonderful turn as Jay Kelly’s manager, Ron. However, I think the actor who has sadly been lost in the shuffle for some reason is Billy Crudup. In a film full of great performances, I honestly believe Crudup’s might be the best.

It’s Such An Important Character

If you don’t remember, Crudup plays Tim Galligan, one of Jay Kelly’s classmates from acting school. Unlike Kelly, who is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Galligan’s career never took off. After they run into each other at a funeral, they grab some drinks together. At this point, Galligan and Kelly seem happy to have run into each other after many years.

That’s when things get dark. It turns out that everyone in their acting class thought Galligan was the cream of the crop, but after he flubs an audition, Kelly tries out for the same part and wins the role, launching his incredibly successful career. Galligan has been bitter about it ever since. They end up physically fighting in the parking lot of the bar, and Kelly walks away worse for wear.

Crudup’s part is only on screen for a few minutes, and after the fight, we never see him again, but the confrontation follows Kelly throughout the rest of the film, including through the threat of a lawsuit. It’s a tribute to Crudup that we feel the reverberations until the end. He leaves a hell of a long tail, proving there are no small roles.

Crudup Should Be Up For Awards!

Don’t get me wrong, I love that Sandler is getting so many award nominations (and Clooney as well), and I hope he finally gets an Oscar nom (after he was denied for Uncut Gems), but I don’t get how Crudup isn’t getting more attention from the awards for the same category as Sandler (Best Supporting Actor). Yet, he doesn’t seem to have even been in the discussion among many Awards-watchers.

Weirdly, he’s not being talked about more. Billy Crudup’s career has been packed with awards. He’s won multiple Emmys for The Morning Show, and he’s got a Tony on his shelf, too (I was lucky enough to see him on stage in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui in 2002). Yet, he’s never even been nominated for an Oscar. This role in Jay Kelly is worthy of that first nomination, and yet, it’s obvious that he’s a huge long shot at this point.

So, let’s celebrate all the actors in Jay Kelly, and that includes Billy Crudup!

One of the reasons why The Pitt has received so much acclaim is that it’s medically accurate. Healthcare workers have praised how the show represents their work. Meanwhile, Noah Wyle has made it abundantly clear that the program’s goal is to accurately tell their stories. Now, he’s shared how the cast prepared to do just that by recalling the medical boot camp they all went through. On top of that, he also got hilariously real about the ER cast’s chances of getting through it.

Noah Wyle Explained The Boot Camp The Pitt’s Cast Went Through

As Season 2 of The Pitt premiered on the 2026 TV schedule (you can stream it with an HBO Max subscription), Noah Wyle opened up about how the cast prepared to play doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Before shooting, they all went through training where they learned the basics (like how to hold the instruments and put on gloves), and through that, they were able to look a lot like doctors on screen. Explaining the "boot camp" (as referred to by medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook) further, the Emmy winner told CBS Sunday Mornings:

While I’m no doctor, watching The Pitt certainly makes me feel like I’m really in the ER. Clearly, this training has paid off big time, too. Not only is this show beloved by fans, but it’s also praised for the issues it covers and the way it depicts those who work in hospitals. Medical professionals and general viewers love it, and it turned out so good because of how committed this cast and crew are to getting things right.

However, when it comes to this kind of training for the other medical drama Noah Wyle is known for, he’s not so sure they would have made it through as well…

Noah Wyle Is Convinced That The ER Cast Would Not Have Done Well In The Pitt’s Boot Camp

Right after the Dr. Robby actor praised The Pitt cast for taking their training so seriously, he poked fun at his former co-stars from ER. He explained that the cast probably wouldn’t have done so well because they are all silly geese. He said:

Well, considering George Clooney is a known prankster and is open about how he cheated his way through learning medical dialogue for ER, I can see why Wyle said this. However, I’d like to have a bit more faith in the cast of the medical drama that ran for 15 seasons.

In the end, though, the Dr. Carter actor was very confident that The Pitt cast was better suited for medical boot camp, and he even found himself trying to keep up with them, saying:

I love that The Pitt cast was so committed to this that even Noah Wyle found himself upping his game during their medical training. Now, I’ll 100% be thinking about all the preparation that went into this hit show as Season 2 continues to air.

Speaking of Season 2, you can catch new episodes every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max. Also, if you’d like to throw it back and see the “class clowns” of ER, you can stream all 15 seasons in the same place.

Julia Roberts and George Clooney go way back, from teaming up on two Ocean’s movies to reuniting a few years back for their rom-com Ticket to Paradise. Even when they’re not working together, these two Hollywood stars support each other, like how Roberts enjoyed watching Clooney’s most recent movie, the Netflix subscription-exclusive Jay Kelly. She was especially taken with the movie’s cheesecake plot, as it made her think of her own similar experience as a celebrity.

During Jay Kelly, we learn there’s a rider in the contract of George Clooney’s title character that a slice of cheesecake be available to him wherever he goes. When Jay realizes this, he mentions that he doesn’t even like cheesecake, but his manager, Adam Sandler’s Ron Sukenick, assures him that he just doesn’t remember enjoying a slice wants. In an interview with Deadline tied to her latest movie, After the Hunt, Julia Roberts revealed that watching Jay Kelly made her realize she has a similar situation going with “either a huge bag or a huge bowl of raw almonds,” and she doesn’t know why. Roberts continued:

I hope Julia Roberts is able to track someone down who can shed light on how it was decided to deliver her almonds in bulk. Is this something that’s only been happening within the last decade or so, or does this stretch back to earlier movies of hers, like My Best Friend’s Wedding or Erin Brockovich. Whatever the answer is, I’m sure she’ll be able to get the almond portion of her riders removed. If Roberts has that much of a craving for those kinds of nuts one day, she has people who can easily obtain them.

Jay Kelly’s cheesecake subplot also reflects a mistake George Clooney made in real life. He discovered in New York from a driver ferrying him around that he’d been instructed to find Fuji apples for the actors, but wasn’t having any luck. This stemmed from just one time that Clooney expressed interested in eating Fuji apples because “it was the only one” he could think of, and that request led to that kind of fruit being added to his rider. Celebrities really need a system in place where someone actually checks with them about if they want a certain kind of food in their riders rather than just assume it should be included.

Like George Clooney and Adam Sandler for their work in Jay Kelly, Julia Roberts was also recognized in the 2026 Golden Globe nominations for her performance as Alma Inhoff in After the Hunt. We’ll see if all three actors win their respective categories when the ceremony airs this Sunday on both CBS and streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

It’s no secret that Batman & Robin is not one of the more beloved live-action Batman movies… ok, let’s be real, it gets a lot of hate. George Clooney has leaned into that over the years by repeatedly apologizing and making fun of his performance as Bruce Wayne, including when he trolled an interviewer about the 1997 movie last month. That being said, Clooney can understand the value of Batman & Robin now following a cute moment he had with his son.

While talking about his Golden Globe-nominated work in Jay Kelly, his Netflix subscription-exclusive movie that premiered in November, Clooney’s conversation with W Magazine briefly turned to Batman & Robin, which he starred in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone. When asked if his eight-year-old twins, who've had trouble believing he's famous, like Halloween, the actor answered:

This is a heartwarming story, but it becomes hilarious when you remember that is a 180 turn from how George Clooney’s son felt about his dad being Batman two years ago. But hey, we’re allowed to change our minds! Like Clooney said, Batman & Robin can definitely be a more entertaining watch at that young of an age rather than as an adult… mainly because it functions as an overblown toy commercial, but that’s besides the point. However, I imagine when Clooney’s son gets older, he’ll probably pick a different favorite Batman, like Christian Bale or Robert Pattinson’s version.

Wearing that nippled Batsuit may have been painful for George Clooney, but at least now he knows it was for a good cause. And while Batman & Robin was received so poorly that it killed the original Batman film series, the silver lining is that it for Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Clooney also had the fortune of being able to leave things on a slightly better note with Batman thanks to The Flash, as he cameoed as Bruce Wayne at the end of the movie after Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen changed the timeline again.

If you now feel the urge to revisit Batman & Robin, just fire up your HBO Max subscription and press play. Looking to the future, George Clooney is gearing up to reprise Danny Ocean in Ocean’s 14. That doesn’t have a release date yet, but you can also look forward to The Batman: Part II bringing Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne back to the big screen on October 1, 2027.

There have been talks and rumors, and hopeful wishes for a possible Ocean's Fourteen movie for years. Those rumors have been heating up in recent months, and now we can confidently say that it looks like a new installment in the Ocean’s franchise is on the way. We don’t have a ton of details on the movie, and it’s not going to be part of the 2026 movie schedule, but we have learned a little bit, including whether stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and the other cast members will be returning (the answer seems to be ‘yes’). Here’s what we know, and why I’m excited.

When Will Ocean’s Fourteen Be Released?

There is no release date as of yet for Ocean’s Fourteen. George Clooney was quoted in October 2025 as saying that Warner Bros. has approved the budget and that filming could begin in “nine or ten months.” Keeping that schedule on track might prove tricky, given all the big stars with busy schedules who are hopefully going to return for this.

It’s challenging to predict when the movie might be released, but a late 2027 date doesn’t seem impossible if the schedule remains intact.

The Big Stars Will Likely Be Returning

Obviously, it looks like George Clooney (Danny Ocean) is a lock, as he’s been the one doing the most talking about it in pubic. The Jay Kelly star also intimated that he expects Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle to be back. Pitt hinted at his own involvement back in June, though Damon has been playing it more coy.

Of course, the cast is more than just those huge stars. Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Qin Shaobo, and Eddie Jemison have all been part of the gang in the previous three movies. I think they would be likely to return. Elliott Gould, who had a guest spot in 2025’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, which you can watch with a Netflix subscription, is an OG cast member and could be back. Andy Garcia also appeared in each of the first three movies.

Al Pacino and Catherine Zeta-Jones weren’t in the first film, but appeared in the second (Zeta-Jones) and third (Pacino) movies. The franchise has also seen the likes of Eddie Izzard, Ellen Barkin, and Vincent Cassel (all of whom were in Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen), plus there is the entire cast of Ocean’s 8. Could Sandra Bullock, who plays Danny Ocean’s sister in the spinoff, appear? The sky’s the limit here, I think.

Sadly, we’ve lost some of the original cast members since Ocean’s Thirteen’s release in 2007. Hollywood legend Carl Reiner (father of the late Rob Reiner) died in 2020, and the great Bernie Mac passed away at age 50 in 2008. Robbie Coltrane and Albert Finney, who both appeared in Ocean’s 12, have also since passed away.

We’ll keep a close eye on any casting announcements in the coming weeks and months.

David Leitch Is Expected To Direct Ocean’s Fourteen

It has been reported that David Leitch will be helming the fourth installment of the series. Leitch has been building quite a resume since making his (uncredited) debut as a director with John Wick in 2014. Over the last decade or so, he’s directed Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Bullet Train (2022), starring Brad Pitt, and The Fall Guy (2024). He even has a heist movie coming out in 2026, How to Rob a Bank, starring Zoë Kravitz, Pete Davidson, and Nicholas Hoult, so he has some experience with movie thieves.

Steven Soderbergh, who directed all three of the original trilogy, will serve as a producer. Soderbergh has been on quite a run recently, releasing at least a movie a year, every year, since 2017, including two in 2025, The Christophers and Black Bag, so it’s understandable that he might want to take a little break from directing.

What Will The Plot Of Ocean’s Fourteen Be?

As of yet, there is no word on who might be writing the script, but Pitt has said what's being developed is “pretty damn tasty.” Given Pitt’s fondness for eating in movies, that’s an encouraging description.

Clooney has also hinted that the script won’t ignore that the Ocean crew is aging, after all, it’s been almost 20 years since we last checked in with the thieves. The star also said he was inspired by the ‘70s heist movie Going In Style, about aging thieves, in an interview with Variety in December 2025.

So long as the movie has a fun heist and some excellent one-liners, I’m confident it’ll be great.

There Is Also An Ocean’s Prequel Starring Margot Robbie In The Works

Ocean’s Fourteen isn’t the only movie to look forward to for fans of the franchise. Word first leaked out in early 2024 that an Ocean’s prequel movie set in the 1960s and starring Margot Robbie was in the works. Ryan Gosling was rumored to be teaming up with Robbie again, and they would be playing Danny Ocean’s parents in the film.

The latest news on the possible prequel came in October 2025, when it was revealed that Gosling wouldn’t be starring, but Bradley Cooper was in talks to take over in the role. Either way, that’s a win, right? Frankly, I may be just as excited about this as I am about Fourteen, after all, the Ocean’s franchise was born in the 1960s with the original Ocean’s 11, starring the Rat Pack, in 1960.

It sounds like we’re still a ways away from either movie being released, but in the meantime, it’s always a good time to rewatch 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, which you can do with a Paramount+ subscription. I know that I’m planning on diving back in soon.

George Clooney may be known first and foremost as one of Hollywood’s great non-pigeonholed actors, but he also has a side gig still going pranking A-listers. Matt Damon has been one of his many targets over the years, like when Clooney and Brad Pitt campaigned for Damon to be Sexist Man Alive by taking out full page ads of him in a Speedo. That’s a top-notch prank for sure, but the Bourne franchise lead recently revealed another doozy that the former Batman actor played on him.

As part of a Variety profile about George Clooney, Matt Damon shared how when the two were working together on 2014’s The Monuments Men, which Clooney also directed, he arranged for the movie’s wardrobe department to take in the waist of Damon’s costumes by an eighth of an inch every day. As Damon recalled:

Talk about playing the long game. Rather than have the wardrobe department immediately put Matt Damon into a costume that was too tight, George Clooney decided to go at this prank more slowly and have the costume’s size slowly decreased. It’s exceptionally twisted and stretched long after The Monuments Men finished filming. I admire Clooney for hatching this in the midst of directing the ensemble that also starred Bill Murray, John Goodman and Cate Blanchett, among others.

I’d argue the Sexist Man Alive prank ranks higher on the list of pranks George Clooney has played on Matt Damon since it was so public, but this wardrobe resizing is still amazing. However, let’s also not forget the time that Clooney looped in Damon when he targeted Tina Fey and Amy Poehler after they joked about the two men when hosting the 2014 Golden Globes. He hilariously had stationary made with Matt Damon’s name and penned a letter where he pretended to be the Good Will Hunting actor and said he was upset by the jokes. Even better, Clooney didn’t tell Damon he was doing this. This is my favorite prank of the three I’ve brought up.

But as I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of other Hollywood talents George Clooney has pranked. His prank war with Brad Pitt is especially iconic, which was ignited when he stuck a pot bumper sticker on Pitt’s car during the filming of Ocean’s Eleven. Matt Damon also revealed a few years back that the way Clooney screwed with Pitt during Ocean’s Twelve’s production left the Se7en actor “the maddest I’ve ever seen.”

With George Clooney expected to reunite with both Brad Pitt and Matt Damon on Ocean’s Fourteen, I can’t wait to hear about the prank hijinks that ensue on that set. In the meantime, Clooney’s most recent movie, Jay Kelly, and Damon’s movie arriving later this month, The Rip (which just dropped a new trailer), can both be accessed with a Netflix subscription.

If we could just put aside all of the perceived coolness of being an actor who’s chosen to bring a beloved superhero character to life on the big screen (as many will do for the 2026 movie schedule), it’s kinda obvious that there are some potential drawbacks. I’m sure that at least one of the actors in our upcoming superhero movies will have a few complaints about their costume, as they seem to be infamously difficult to wear. Well, while everyone likes to go on and on about George Clooney’s Batman nipples, he’s got a hilarious story about how “painful” filming Batman & Robin was, and it’s got nothing to do with that part of the suit’s design.

What Did George Clooney Say About His Batman Suit Being ‘Painful’?

To be blunt, while there was a lot of hope when George Clooney stepped up to portray Bruce Wayne/Batman, the resulting film, Batman & Robin, didn’t really set the fandom on fire. In fact, the Jay Kelly star has done everything from apologize for the 1997 movie, to poking a lot of fun at it, while also noting that its commercial and critical failure led to him becoming a movie star.

Of course, more people might be likely to give Clooney grace for his performance as the Dark Knight (which he briefly reprised - sans costume - in The Flash) had they known just what he put up with when it came to his nipple-fied costume. As he recently told Variety, “it was not the most fun shoot, because of the suit,” and then he explained:

Egad. Not great, right? I can imagine that there are worse conditions to try and act like a superhero under, but I’m sure this situation still wasn’t very helpful when it came time to do pretty much anything when Clooney was fully Batted up.

We did, of course, see him move around in his Batsuit, but most of his movements do appear rather stiff. While it’s clear that being in costume wasn’t his favorite thing, we’ve heard other superhero suit horror stories. Paul Bettany admitted that he “flipped out” once while wearing his Vision costume on WandaVision, and how 2005 Fantastic Four actor Michael Chiklis became so “panicked” and “claustrophobic” in his The Thing costume that he almost quit…until he got tips from a psychiatrist on how to cope.

I think we can all agree that none of these are exactly dream workday scenarios, so it really says a lot that Clooney and many of his live-action superhero co-horts were able to deliver any kind of believable performances at all.

It’s possible that if ER hadn’t made it onto the NBC schedule (or, at least, if it hadn’t become a blockbuster, 15-season hit), that George Clooney wouldn’t have become one of our biggest stars for nearly 30 years now. Though the 2025 movies star was certainly a recognizable film/TV presence before, having been in a number of “failed” projects, the medical drama made him a megastar. Now, he’s funnily revealed how he ‘cheated’ his way through all that difficult medical dialogue.

What Was George Clooney’s Secret To Nailing ER’s Complex Medical Jargon?

There are surely lots of challenges to be found when playing a character whose life is very different from yours, and many actors have had the unique trial of needing to remember dialogue that comes from very specialized professions, like those in the medical field. Anyone who’s gone to a doctor (I hope that’s everyone who’s reading this right now) knows that even the most basic tests/diagnosis can sometimes mean listening to very intricate wording.

Luckily for us, George Clooney found an incredibly clever workaround when he nabbed his star-making role as Dr. Doug Ross on ER, which he held for five seasons. As he recently told Variety:

I mean, come on! Putting his lines on his clipboard and reading them during scenes is, honestly, the easiest way to get through wording that might have even the most skilled and professional actors tongue-tied on a regular basis, isn’t it?

Obviously, medical series have been a major part of the television landscape for many years before and since ER ended its run 2009, including many stellar 2025 medical shows (one which includes Clooney’s former co-star, Noah Wyle). And, one thing the actors always talk about is how they prepare so that they can throw around terms like idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (I used Google!) like it’s totally normal for them.

The methods run the gamut, from a star of The Resident having noted how “rehearsing” and “understanding what that terminology means” guided him, to the cast of the 2025 canceled series Doctor Odyssey “making up songs on set to memorize the very intense medical jargon,” and Grey’s Anatomy star Scott Speedman admitting he “had to” actually “quit coffee” so he could get through all the terminology. It turns out that there might be an easier way, and now everyone who currently stars on a medical show can try Cooney’s method and see if it works for them.

It looks like, after nearly 20 years, fans of a certain series of comedic heist films are actually getting closer to another entry that will see them enjoying more one-liners from the Ocean’s franchise. It was back in 2024 that word of Ocean’s 14 finally being in the works was confirmed by George Clooney, who talked about having a script that the returning players loved. Several movie franchises have been revived after long absences from the big screen, but the 2025 movies star has now opened up about how this sequel will be different, and I love that it’s not just a nostalgia grab.

What George Clooney Has Said About Ocean’s 14 Being Different From The Others In The Franchise

Across three films so far (starting with Ocean’s 11 in 2001), we’ve watched as George Clooney’s Danny Ocean has masterminded and led a team of incredibly diverse con artists and thieves through one massive heist after another. While the initial run of the franchise ended in 2007 (not including the loosely related all-female offshoot, Ocean’s 8 in 2018), fans have clamored for more.

Though star Don Cheadle once noted that plans for another sequel stalled after the 2008 death of franchise player Bernie Mac, it seems clear that the Jay Kelly lead never fully gave up hope, and kept the dream of Ocean’s 14 alive over the years. So, what’s going to set this film apart from the others that have gone before? When speaking with Variety, Clooney answered that query by saying:

OK. I gotta say, I’m really into this idea, though I clearly have no clue exactly how it will play into the story. A lot of people simply won’t get this, but being middle aged (as Cheadle and Clooney’s fellow main cast members like Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts - who are all said to be returning - all are) is legit no joke. Theoretically, you’re in a life stage where you know and understand more than ever before because of experience, but you are also in the throes of getting old and truly not being able to do the same things you used to, at least not in the same way. And, frankly, it can really suck.

While things didn’t always go smoothly for the Ocean’s crew (that’s part of what made the movies so much fun), trying to pull off a major heist now is probably going to take some rejiggering, compared to how they used to do things. If the story will also factor in the team not being together regularly over the past two decades so they can fleece more casino owners or whatever, then not only do they need to get reacquainted in general, but they’ll also need to accommodate their altered skill sets.

What this basically means is that a little bit of real life will be worked into the newest Ocean’s heist, and I can’t wait to see how that plays out.

In terms of Hollywood leading men from the past few decades, few come close to being as prolific, versatile, or recognizable as George Clooney. A star of both screen and stage, the 2026 Golden Globe nominee has proven time and time again he’s one of the best to ever do it. But did you know that he once missed out on a part in Thelma & Louise, the role that made Brad Pitt, the other half of his big Hollywood romance, into a big-time star back in the early 1990s?

This “what if” situation became a major topic of conversation when Clooney and his Ocean’s Eleven costar sat down for a chat with The Times. When opening up about missing out on one of Ridley Scott’s best movies, and losing the part of the charming dfriter named J.D., which launched his future friend’s big-screen career, the Jay Kelly star didn’t hold back at all, saying:

At the time this would be going down, sometime between 1988 and 1991, Clooney had already appeared on shows like The Facts of Life, Murder She Wrote, and Roseanne, but his big-screen releases were not as well-known. Well, that is, unless you’re a fan of Grizzly II: Revenge, Return to Horror High, or Return of the Killer Tomatoes.

Clooney would go on to become a household name a few years later, during the early seasons of ER, before making the leap to the silver screen in the mid ‘90s. Despite that, Clooney admits he didn’t watch Thelma & Louise for years after losing the role to Pitt, adding:

Though it could be argued that this is just one friend giving the other a hard time for prolonging the inevitable, it’s not hard to wonder how Clooney’s career would have been if he had played the shirtless drifter remembered for his cowboy hat and blow-dryer. At the same time, now I’m left wondering what Pitt’s career would have been like had he not gotten his big break alongside stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis.

Clooney did, in fact, end up watching Thelma & Louise for himself. Looking back, he admits that it had to be Pitt instead of him, even if his longtime friend continues to mess with him about it:

That’s the thing, it’s honestly difficult to imagine anyone besides Pitt playing J.D. Though the character is only a small part of a larger crime epic, he instantly made an impact, and those few scenes remain untouchable 30-plus years later.

All things being said, Clooney, who seemingly cannot be pigeonholed, has had a remarkable career despite never getting another chance to work with Ridley Scott.

The concept of “movie stars” is currently far removed from past connotations, but there are still certain celebrities for whom it still applies. George Clooney fits squarely into that group. The Oscar-winner may have broken into the mainstream on network TV with ER, but has spent much of the past 30 years appearing in myriad big-screen features like the 2025 Netflix release Jay Kelly, and all without ever falling pretty to Hollywood stereotyping.

Given Jay Kelly’s focus on an aging actor forced to reflect on his life and career balance, it makes sense that Clooney himself has an insight or two into his own successes. During an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, Clooney attributed the breadth of his filmography to the fact that he hasn't headed up any gargantuanly successful franchises. As he put it:

To his point, Clooney has delivered the goods in a slew of movies that were inarguable hits in the way that they delivered impressive profits for modest budgets. Without any of those projects taking over the box office in rankings-changing ways the way that MCU films, James Cameron's Avatar movies, or Star Wars movies have. Yeah, he was Batman, but for 1997's Batman & Robin, which grossed $107 million domestically against an estimated $125 million budget.

I'd suspect that George Clooney would be just as grounded and charming within a Marvel project or even a Mission: Impossible entry as he is the Coen brothers' movies, in romantic roles, or even in more serious fare such as The Ides of March or The Midnight Sky. But it doesn't seem like that's where he wants to put his efforts, so there's no reason to even picture what it would be like.

He continued, pointing out that staying below that particular radar is what's given him the opportunities to keep making more of those. As he put it:

Of course, if Clooney were downright awful at acting within comedy, drama, action, sci-fi or any other genres, that might have also had a drastic effect on the kinds of offers that came in. But no, he's pretty solid through and through, regardless of what kind of movie he stars in. He can make you laugh, make you cry, and convincingly punch someone out after a car chase, and all without being "the car chase guy."

Few might expect to see genre-specific stars such as Jean-Claude Van Damme or Sylvester Stallone headlining a methodical biopic like Good Night, and Good Luck or a goofy throwback football comedy like Leatherheads, but those are projects that Clooney both starred in and directed. He shared that despite not reaching skyscraping levels of financial success, this is a better life for him than anything more limited. In his words:

Look at this guy. I just brought up his football movie and he's using baseball metaphors to describe his career. He can't even be pigeonholed with sports references!

Sounds like he's trying to take another crack at a cool billion both on-screen and off, with active development happening for Ocean's 14, which is set to bring Andy Garcia back in, and tentative plans to start filming in late-summer 2026.

If you haven’t watched the new streaming release Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery yet, get on that. The new Rian Johnson movie is tonally a bit of a departure for Benoit Blanc, but it’s a great, engaging mystery with beautiful cinematography. (Our review.) It doesn’t surprise me in the least it’s still at No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 list globally right now. What does surprise me? A new rom-com with a 36% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes about a lady St. Nick is being watched more than Jay Kelly is. Sorry, George Clooney.

Jay Kelly’s been a solid entry on Netflix’s Top 10 list both globally and domestically since its hit the streaming service on December 5th following a brief theatrical release, so it’s definitely had a nice little run on the streamer, particularly for a dramedy from The Squid and the Whale director Noah Baumbach.

I'd argue that longevity was the reason it's being beat out by a silly rom-com with a not-so-ho-ho-hopeful Rotten Tomatoes score, but My Secret Santa actually first hit Netflix two days before on December 3rd. Plus: K-Pop Demon Hunters is still solidly in the Top 10, despite being released in June. It probably has something to do with the subject matter.

So, What Is My Secret Santa About?

My Secret Santa is a new Christmas movie about a single mom who dons a fake belly and some Chad Powers-style makeup in order to look like jolly old St. Nicholas. She’s doing this to fund her kid’s lessons at a popular ski resort, which she could not normally afford. However, employees get a steep discount.

While engaging in this subterfuge, she meets the resort owner, whom she’d met prior while not in her Santa disguise. Hijinks ensue. For the right crowd, the movie’s a charmer, and critics were a bit more excited about it, landing the movie a 73% rating on RT. However, audiences who are watching it are loving it a whole lot less, so it’s a bit surprising that it’s beating George Clooney on the Top 10 list.

Here's how everything is stacking up right now, globally:

1. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
2. My Secret Santa
3. Jay Kelly
4. K-Pop: Demon Hunters
5. The Super Mario Bros Movie
6. Death Wish
7. The Hustle
8. The Croods
9. The Lorax
10. A Merry Little X-Mas

Not a bad list at all, but let's unpack the order of these gems you can watch with your Netflix subscription.

I Don't Think The Subject Matter Is The Only Reason Though.

I think a lot of this has to do with how people consume Netflix and the different types of audiences that are using the service. For the purposes of this conversation, I think it makes sense to think about users as either people knowing what they want to watch or people not knowing what they want to watch.

Jay Kelly is a movie getting awards buzz from a popular indie director. Despite starring huge names like Sandler and Clooney, it's not a broad comedy designed for everyone. It's the type of movie with a self-selecting fanbase, the type that are going to know when the movie is coming out and probably get to it within a few weeks of hitting the 2025 Netflix schedule. (And probably take some lessons about aging out of it, as well.)

My Secret Santa, despite starring Alexandra Breckenridge, who has a big Netflix fanbase from Virgin River, is the type of movie that is designed to be stumbled on. It's going to get a lot more clicks from people who are drawn to the subject matter and not actively seeking it out. Because of that, it's the type of movie that's much more likely to have extended longevity on the service. Plus, 'tis the season.

Regardless, it's nice to see Netflix doing well with its originals. There are times in which the Top 10 is dominated by films the streamer has syndicated. Not right now. While some older titles are on there, the top 4 are all things exclusive to Netflix, and as Jay Kelly and My Secret Santa show, they're designed to please different audiences looking for different kinds of material.

Apparently, even Adam Sandler, a man who has built an entire comedy empire on his juvenile humor, can still be surprised by crudeness, it seems. In a video that’s now making the rounds online, George Clooney casually drops a linguistic bombshell on Sandler by explaining what the word “fanny” actually means in the UK. Sandler’s reaction is priceless, and the surprise on his face says it all.

Americans may associate the term “fanny” with something harmless, as George Clooney explained. It’s a silly word often used to describe a person's bottom, which is why we call small pouches that sit across your waist “fannypacks.” Apparently, through his marriage to Amal Clooney, George learned that the Brits interpret the word incredibly differently, and it’s actually super crude. Its use would be enough to get some gasps on British TV.

Adam Sandler didn’t know this, and he had a delightfully surprised reaction when Clooney -- who he stars alongside in the 2025 movie release Jay Kelly -- told him. You can see the video from the BBC’s Instagram below:

I kind of love that even after years of making crude jokes on screen, and starring on SNL, arguably the most iconic sketch comedy show of all time, Sandler still wasn’t familiar with this English mistranslation across the pond. I wonder if the actor has used “fanny” in one of his films, and Brits thought the humor was far dirtier than it intended to be. I'm glad the Michael Clayton star clued his buddy in, as he may have possibly learned all of this the hard way.

The Sandman's reaction is also amazing. He wasn’t even completely shocked about the true crassness of the word. He was, in fact, absolutely delighted. The Happy Gilmore star even suggested that this new information will prompt him to use it more. This is so perfectly Adam Sandler.

It's true that Sandler has taken a turn as an actor, taking on more serious films like Uncut Gems and more recently, Jay Kelly. Yet he has still maintained his love of comedy and the joy of a dirty joke. He’s a man of many talents, and I love that he hasn’t let go of his juvenile sense of humor.

Ultimately, the whole exchange is a perfect reminder of why Sandler has remained such a beloved presence in Hollywood for decades. Also, Clooney’s dry delivery and excited amusement makes the moment even more charming. It showcases their unexpectedly endearing chemistry as actors.

I can’t wait to see how the decades-spanning dynamic between Clooney and Sandler plays out in their latest movie. Also, this viral video reminds fans of Clooney’s suave wit, and I’d love to see these two do a proper comedy one day, Adam-Sander-style.

You can see George Clooney and Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly, which is currently streaming with a Netflix subscription. It nabbed some 2026 Golden Globe nominations, so make sure to check it out. For more information on other exciting titles available on the streamer this awards season, make sure to consult the 2025 Netflix release schedule.

Watching Jay Kelly over the weekend, the new George Clooney movie that is available with a Netflix subscription, affected me in a pretty profound way that I didn’t anticipate. You see, I’m about a couple of months away from a milestone birthday that, at least when I was younger, I saw as the birthday when a person turns “old.” I don’t feel old, and despite a health complication or two, I don’t feel all that different from the way I did 10 years ago.

Mentally, though, my own mortality has become much more present than it ever has been. I think more about things I’ve done in life, or things I didn’t do, and how things would be different today had different paths been chosen. That’s not to say I’m looking back with regret; it’s not that at all. It’s the “what ifs” that get me thinking, just like the character Jay Kelly (Clooney).

Jay Kelly Reflecting On His Life Got Me Doing The Same Thing

I won’t give away too much here. I don’t want to spoil the 2025 movie if you haven’t seen it, but the structure of the film follows an aging movie star reflecting on his life and the times where the path forked. We all have those moments. The “what if I’d taken a different job when I was 23?” or “What if I’d moved to Spain at 25?” and the biggest one, “did I follow my dreams and what does that mean?”

In the movie, Kelly looks back on moments when he either seized an opportunity or shunned one and what those decisions affected decades later. Obviously, I’m nothing like Kelly (or George Clooney, who is kind of just playing himself in a way), but it’s only natural to compare those moments in our lives. Throughout much of the movie, it seems he regrets a lot of decisions, and as I said, I don’t spend much time regretting things.

Trying To Fix All Of Life’s Past Mistakes Is Impossible

Are there moments I wished I’d done things differently? Of course, but just like in the movie, everything happens for a reason, and wishing things could have gone differently is just a way to beat yourself up over things you no longer have control of. I don’t have a Delorean that can take me back to moments and change the future, so dwelling on things like that serves little purpose. This is something Kelly learns, which I am working on, too.

However, it's not like you can just turn off that part of your brain that lets these twinges of regret sneak in. At least, I can’t. I’m not as old as Kelly is in the movie, but those thoughts are still creeping in more and more. Trying to find a way to balance the good with the bad, as Kelly finally does, is really the only way forward, not with regret, but with acceptance for what is.

Warning: minor SPOILERS for Jay Kelly are ahead!

As we inch closer to the end of the year, one of the newest 2025 movie releases that’s generating a lot of chatter is Jay Kelly, which became available to stream with a Netflix subscription last week. Critics have been praising George Clooney’s performance as the title character, a popular actor who’s grappling with the life choices he’s made over his 30+-year-long career as he travels through Europe. In the midst of this main story, there’s a Jay Kelly subplot involving cheesecake that amusingly ties into when Clooney went through a similar situation with fuji apples.

George Clooney Accidentally Got Fuji Apples Added To His Rider

There’s a recurring joke in Jay Kelly where it’s stipulated in his rider that a slice of cheesecake be available for the actor to have wherever he goes. This is despite the fact that George Clooney’s character says he doesn’t even like cheesecake, but Adam Sandler’s Ron Sukenick, his manager, counters that he did once say he enjoyed it, he just doesn’t remember. When Clooney was asked by USA Today if he’s ever had a rider, he answered:

It boils down to miscommunication, I suppose. Like what evidently happened with Jay Kelly, George Clooney merely saying once that he’d be interested in Fuji apples was enough for someone on his team to add that to his rider. While Clooney didn’t go so far as to say he’s never liked Fuji apples like Jay Kelly said about cheesecake, both men came to the same conclusion that having this kind of demand in their respective riders was ridiculous. So in real life, no other driver ever needs to worry about tracking down those kinds of apples down for him.

George Clooney Isn’t A Fan Of Extremely Specific Rider Requests

The Fuji apples incident is even more perplexing to George Clooney since he’s not one of those actors who makes extremely specific requests in their riders, particularly because he doesn’t spend as much time in his trailer as you might expect. He explained:

George Clooney has certainly demonstrated at times how he can be a more down-to-Earth actor, from how he continues to make fun of his performance in Batman & Robin, to that how he once agreed to change Matt Damon’s filming schedule on Syriana because the Red Sox were playing in the World Series. That’s not to say he doesn’t like to have certain things when working on a movie, but he’s nothing on the level of requiring only a specific color of M&M’s. I just hope Jay Kelly goes to the effort of getting the cheesecake stipulation removed, as those slices deserve to go to people who will actually want them.

Now that Jay Kelly has been widely released, we begin waiting to learn what George Clooney’s next movie will be. My bet is it being Ocean’s 14, as Clooney said back in October that Warner Bros. Pictures approved the budget and that filming would “probably start in about nine or ten months.” Don’t forget to also look over the final 2025 Netflix release dates so you can decide what new offerings to watch on the streaming service before the year is done.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Jay Kelly via Netflix subscription.

The comparative descriptor “like an Adam Sandler movie” can draw out a surprisingly comprehensive spectrum of assumptions, including sophomoric comedies, pulse-pounding dramas and feel-good family fare. Even with that in mind, Noah Baumbach’s critic-pleasing Jay Kelly still feels like an outlier, as the 2025 Netflix Original adheres to its reality in a grim way that many of Sandler’s movies don’t, even with all of its luxurious excess.

As good as all of the performances are in Jay Kelly, from the vulnerability shown by George Clooney to the Laura Dern-iness of Laura Dern, I found it extremely easy to relate to and sympathize with Sandler’s ever-loyal Ron Sukenick, the long put-upon manager whose time is most easily manipulated by Jay’s whims. In my mind, Ron is the true protagonist, and the role really crystallized some of the long-standing feelings I’ve had about the SNL vet’s performances that I admittedly hadn’t fully examined before.

Adam Sandler Is Getting Oscar Buzz For Jay Kelly, And I Think It's Well Deserved

As Ron Sukenick, Adam Sandler plays someone who puts his professional responsibilities above all others, and puts the happiness of his blue-ribbon client far above his own, with Ron's family forever forced to take the backseat. There's disappointment to be had, but also a hardened resignation in knowing that this is what life is like with Jay Kelly in the spotlight, and is also what pays the bills. It’s a role that doesn’t give Sandler many moments where he’s flashing his signature smile with authenticity, and there's instead a sense of fatigued surrender lingering beneath the surface.

To me, Ron's arc in the film is the most successful and bittersweet, and I genuinely found myself surprised when he agreed to stick around for the award ceremony, mainly because I think he deserves more than just a last-ditch stab at friendship from Jay. I just care about the dude.

Sandler sparked Oscar buzz even before Jay Kelly’s trailer was released, due in part to his fashion choices, but that awards buzz continued even after the movie screened, which the actor had a great response to. Helping those assumptions along is the fact that his name was indeed called when the Golden Globes nominations were announced on Dec. 8. I think that nod and an Oscar nom are both deserved, and it’s in large part because Ron feels like Adam Sandler when he's slightly more bummed out than usual.

Ron Sukenick Brought Into Focus That My Favorite Adam Sandler Performances Are (Almost) Always His Least Performative

There are hundreds, even thousands, of actors out there who absolutely need to bring an extra spark to a performance, as their default personalities are either not interesting or not dynamic enough to hold attention. But Adam Sandler doesn't need to embrace any such artifice, as his natural charisma and low-energy demeanor are endlessly watchable, regardless of whether he's giving a late-night interview, commanding the stage for a stand-up performance, or heading up a star-studded Netflix comedy.

Sandler is the king of casual, regardless of genre, and that's the zone I love to see him in the most, when it seems like he just walked off the street and stepped into the role. I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing or even thinking about The Waterboy or Little Nicky again, for instance, because Bobby Boucher and Little Nicky are two of the most annoying movie characters I can think of. I'd also change seats in a bus if Hubie Halloween or Sandy Wexler sat next to me, and they're not the only ones.

Even though I absolutely adore Adam Sandler's comedy albums, which hinge almost entirely on the actor playing over-the-top characters, those short bursts are far easier to contend with than feature runtimes. If I'm sticking around for 90+ minutes, I'd much rather watch Sandler play someone as close to a real person as possible, even if the narrative is a stretch.

In this respect, I'm talking about him playing Barry Egan in Punch-Drunk Love, Sonny Koufax in Big Daddy, Don Truby in Men, Women & Children, George Simmons in Funny People and Danny Friedman in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. Even Longfellow Deeds feels like a normal dude, though I don't really like that movie very much. And sure, Uncut Gems' Howard Ratner isn't 100% natural, but it doesn't require the actor to dumb himself down at all, so it works here.

That Doesn't Mean I Dislike All Of The Movies With Adam Sandler's Wackier Roles

To be sure, this whole career-arcing view on Adam Sandler is definitely more tied to performances than my overall opinions of the movies themselves. For instance, I think Happy Gilmore is one of the funniest sports movies of all time, but I don't think Sandler's acting is particularly outstanding, and the character is often a self-obsessed turd. Same for Billy Madison, which I love despite its doofus titular character. (I also think Hubie Halloween is fun, for all that I bump against the character himself.)

As well, I don't particularly care for Robbie Hart or Henry Roth in The Wedding Singer or 50 First Dates, but I'll rewatch both of those without issue. His vocal performances in the Hotel Transylvania movies and Leo can even get grating, but not enough to totally ruin those projects. And the list goes on.

So even though I don't think Jay Kelly was the best movie released in 2025 by a long shot, I do feel comfortable in saying it showcases one of my favorite Adam Sandler performances from his entire career. Is this my way of soft-launching an attempt to be Adam Sandler's new friend? I'm not saying that's true, but I'm also pointing to Jay Kelly and thinking I can do a better job than that guy in the friend department.

Jay Kelly is currently available to stream on Netflix. Find out if Adam Sandler will win the Golden Globe when the awards telecast airs on CBS and streams via Paramount+ subscription on Sunday, January 11, 2026.

Ask a bunch of Batman fans what the best Batman movie is, and they’ll argue for hours over a number of different titles. Ask that same group what the worst Batman movie is, and they’ll all tell you it’s Batman & Robin, starring George Clooney as the Caped Crusader. Even George Clooney will tell you the movie was bad, unless he’s trying to convince you it’s a secret masterpiece.

Clooney, who stars in the upcoming Netflix movie Jay Kelly with Adam Sandler, was recently talking to IMDb when he was asked if there was a single credit that he felt he should be most known for. He jokes that the answer is Batman & Robin, which leaves the interviewer stuttering in response. It’s a pretty hilarious exchange. Check it out below.

Generally speaking, George Clooney is well aware of the way his Batman performance has been judged, and he doesn’t particularly argue the point. That said, we know Clooney loves a good joke, and he apparently enjoys messing with the media interviewing him by occasionally arguing that he is the best Batman. Honestly, if he said that to me, I wouldn't argue.

While I can’t really argue that Batman & Robin is a misstep that doesn’t really work, I’ll also, to a point, defend George Clooney’s Batman performance. Batman & Robin was a movie that, by design, was supposed to be lighter and sillier than Tim Burton’s dark and broody takes on the material. It’s fine if people didn’t want that, but Clooney absolutely understood the assignment and did a good job with the movie he was given. It’s fine that people didn’t really want that movie, but it’s unfair to call Clooney “bad” in the role.

Still, Batman & Robin really wasn’t the movie people wanted, leading to the end of that particular franchise and Batman taking a bit of a break before being relaunched by Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. Since Batman and Robin, we certainly haven't seen much in the way of attempts at a more comedic Batman outside of animation. It feels unlikely we'll ever see anything like that on the big screen again. Which may not be the worst outcome, as far as the below video goes.

Clooney did make a return to the role, sans cape and cowl, in a cameo appearance in The Flash, one of the last movies of the previous DC Universe. The appearance itself was meant to be something of a joke, considering Clooney was probably the last former Batman anybody would expect to appear again.

Whether Clooney will remain the “worst” Batman will depend on the future. So far, Robert Pattinson has received solid marks. Another new Batman is on the horizon as somebody will eventually be cast as the official DCU Batman, though when that will happen is an open question at this point.

George and Amal Clooney are such a power couple, and these days, so are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Now, both pairs have proven they deserve that title even further, because as the Ocean’s Eleven actor explained why he and his wife have not fought in ten years, the tight end admitted that the same thing is true about him and the pop star.

As George Clooney was chatting with the Kelce brothers on New Heights about his project on the 2025 movie schedule, Jay Kelly, they also questioned him about his career and personal life. Specifically, Travis asked the actor if he was lying about the claim that he and his wife, Amal, haven’t fought in a decade. Clooney quickly said he wasn’t lying, and flipped the question on the football player, saying:

We’ve gotten amazing peeks into Swift and Kelce’s relationship. Just this year, we've seen the football player and pop star’s engagement photos, she went on New Heights to announce The Life of a Showgirl, and we know their relationship will be highlighted in The End of an Eras (the Eras Tour docuseries that will premiere on December 12 for those with a Disney+ subscription).

However, overall, they keep their relationship pretty private. So, I was surprised when Travis responded to Clooney’s question by saying:

Wow! So, like George and Amal Clooney, who have been married since 2014, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who got together in 2023, haven’t gotten in a fight. While they’ve always seemed very solid in their relationship, it’s natural for couples to deal with conflict from time to time, so this revelation is both big and quite personal.

Now, after hearing how the Jay Kelly star and his wife have managed to pull this off, this admission from both men got even sweeter. The actor explained:

After that, Jason Kelce asked what the secret to doing that was. In response, Clooney sweetly shared the key to not getting into an argument and being in a happy and healthy relationship, explaining:

In true Clooney fashion, he joked that the brothers could “use that” advice if they wanted to, and they both confirmed that they would. Travis even said he’s been “taking notes this whole time.”

Listen, the Clooneys' marriage sounds like bliss, and the way they get candid about their relationship and their kids has always been incredibly heartwarming. So, yeah, this advice is coming from a great person, and I get why the brothers are taking notes from him.

However, it sounds like Travis Kelce might not need to, because according to him, he’s never fought with Taylor Swift in the two and a half years they’ve been together.

The last month of 2025 and with it comes plenty of reasons to stay inside on the couch, where it’s warm and watch TV. Check to make sure your favorite movie franchise hasn’t jumped streaming services at the beginning of a new month. If that’s not the sort of comfort viewing you need, there are plenty of new movies on streaming as well as holiday specials and other content to keep you entertained. Here’s a look at what you might not want to miss this week.

Oh. What. Fun - December 3 (Prime Video)

‘Tis the Season for holiday movies. Every streaming service has them, and they all have new ones coming out. However, to see the most star-studded of them all, you’ll likely need a Prime Video subscription to check out Oh. What. Fun. Which stars Michelle Pfeiffer as the matriarch of a family who doesn’t appreciate everything she puts into making the holiday special until she disappears.

Jay Kelly - December 5 (Netflix)

December is the last chance that studios have to get their awards season movies into theaters, but when the studio in question is Netflix, it also hits streaming nice and early This week your Netflix subscription gets you Jay Kelly, a movie that has serious awards season buzz surrounding star George Clooney and co-star Adam Sandler as an aging actor and his manager reviewing their lives.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw - December 5 (Disney+)

While Disney is better known for making live-action remakes of animated movies, when Disney picked up the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise with the 20th Century Fox purchase it shifted it to an animated series. This has clearly proven successful, as Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw marks the fourth film in the new franchise.

Phineas and Ferb Recap: Percy Jackson - December 6 (Disney+)

The second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians doesn’t arrive until later in the month, so you still have time to catch up on Season 1 if you have a Disney+ subscription. If, however, you don’t have that kind of time this holiday season, Phineas and Ferb have you covered with an animated recap.

Reality Hot Seat - December 7 (Peacock)

One of the more unique things that streaming has brought to television is alternative ways to watch their favorite shows or events. Disney has turned football games into animated experiences, and now, if you have a Peacock subscription, you can watch the football game between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs with commentary from reality stars.

December still has plenty of gifts for streaming fans in the coming weeks. From the new season of Percy Jackson to the streaming premiere of Rian Johnson’s new Knives Out mystery on Netflix, it looks like there will be something under the tree for all of us before the year closes out.

No matter how much time has passed, Gilmore Girls will always have a special place in many fans’ hearts, especially during the fall. The series is arguably one of the best shows streaming on Netflix, and it’s hard to believe that the drama is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. There were definitely a lot of great moments to come from the show, both on-screen and off. However, some weren’t all great, as Lauren Graham once admitted to still being hurt about ER filming right down the street.

In celebration of the show’s 25^th anniversary, Graham and her on-screen daughter Alexis Bledel presented at the 2025 Emmy Awards in September. For the bit, they stood on a porch that was a replica of Lorelai’s, and it was like we were briefly taken back to Stars Hollow. The two recalled what it was like filming Gilmore Girls all those years ago and how small the production actually was, i.e., they had no money.

In a clip from the Emmys posted by ET, Bledel shared how they had to save up all year long to have their one snow episode, to which Graham hilariously added that ER would wet down their street and wash it all away. Bledel then told her to let it go, but Graham insisted that since ER had George Clooney, Gilmore could have at least gotten the snow:

This is so funny, and I was particularly entertained by Graham lamenting:

Plus, to make matters even funnier, as she was saying that, the camera cut to ER alum and current star of The Pitt, Noah Wyle, who was laughing over this whole bit.

As if it wasn’t obvious from Graham and Bledel’s exchange, both ER and Gilmore Girls filmed at Warner Bros. in Los Angeles at the same time. And from the sounds of it, their stages were right next to each other. It is pretty funny to know that after all these years, the actress is still (jokingly) upset about the snow, especially since ER was set in Chicago and had plenty of it.

That being said, ER had the luxury of being able to film in the Windy City a handful of times, as confirmed in a Chicago Tribune article.

It is interesting to hear about just how different filming was for Gilmore Girls and how they had very little money. Graham has not let up about the show wetting down the streets and melting the snow for their one episode. It didn’t help that ER had an actor like George Clooney, who, during Gilmore Girls’ run, was already a rising movie star and had starred on ER in the early seasons as Doug Ross.

Luckily, Gilmore Girls was able to create memorable snow episodes and make do with what they had, even if it wasn’t a lot. They might not have had Clooney, but they certainly managed to keep fans tuned in every season. The show is now a traditional autumn watch for many fans, and you can’t really say the same about ER. Though both shows continue to live on in big and great ways.

In October 2004, Matt Damon was filming Syriana in Switzerland with producer and co-star George Clooney. Half a world away, Damon’s beloved Boston Red Sox had just won the American League Championship Series and would be going to the World Series. Damon knew he had to be in Boston for the series. That meant he had to ask Clooney for some time off filming what would become one of Clooney’s best movies. Millions of dollars go into movie productions; does it make sense for one of the stars to bail for a few days to go to a baseball game? For Damon, it did. Here’s what Clooney said.

This Was A Big Deal For Damon And All Sox Fans

The Red Sox had just pulled off the most unlikely comeback of all time when they defeated their rival, the New York Yankees, after coming back from a 0-3 deficit in the American League Championship Series. That meant that for the first time in 18 years, the Red Sox would be trying, once again, to win a World Series, something that had infamously eluded them for nearly a century. Damon was determined to go.

So, Damon called Clooney and sheepishly asked for a little time off, saying:

That may sound a little bonkers if you’re not a baseball fan, especially if you’re not a Red Sox fan, but we all know how much Damon loves his hometown and his hometown sports teams. I certainly can relate (more on that below). Clooney is no dummy, and he knew the score, laughing and telling him, in Damon’s words:

So Damon flew to Boston from Geneva to watch his team in the opening games of the 2004 World Series against the National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals. My team. And, here’s the rub for me.

I Hate That World Series

You have to understand something about the 2004 Cardinals. They were flat-out amazing. They led all of baseball with 105 wins. I watched most of those. I was all-in on that team. To this day, it’s my favorite team of all time. Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds were the “MV3,” finishing 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the MVP voting, respectively. Chris Carpenter, Matt Morris, and Jason Marquis had 15 wins apiece on the mound. They were unstoppable. Until they ran into the buzzsaw that was the Red Sox.

Fate, it turns out, had something else in mind for my team. The Red Sox were truly a team of destiny. It was a great baseball movie in the making. First, they vanquished their usually more successful rivals in seven games, completing the epic comeback. Then, they simply destroyed the Cardinals, sweeping the World Series in four games. It wasn’t even close.

The Red Sox had finally overcome the “Curse of the Bambino,” and Damon, his BFF Ben Affleck (who later had to wear a Cardinals hat in Gone Girl), and all the Sox fans around New England had cause to celebrate for the first time in 86 years. I’m still bitter about it, but I get it. I totally get why he had to have Clooney temporarily upend an expensive shooting schedule, because I would’ve wanted to do the same if I were in that position.

At least we know that the production of The Odyssey, which Damon has called “the best experience of my career,” and will hit the 2026 movie schedule next summer, wasn’t interrupted.

Adam Sandler has a deep appreciation for the art of comedy, but there's a particular sport that also holds a special place in his heart – basketball. Sure, Sandler is known for wearing basketball shorts on a regular basis but, even now, the actor occasionally plays a pickup game or two. Unsurprisingly, the beloved comedian would also hit the court when he was a younger man, and he would even hoop it up with some big stars. I’m particularly envious of the fact that he balled with the likes of George Clooney and Chris Farley.

The Happy Gilmore icon does indeed have some famous friends, and he met a number of them when he worked on Saturday Night Live back in the ‘90s. Among the brightest stars Sandler met during his stint as a cast member on the sketch comedy series was Clooney, who was emerging as the star of ER at the time. During an awards season event (which THR attended), Sandler recalled the time at which Clooney hosted SNL and remembered taking in a game of b-ball along with Farley. Seriously, the nostalgia is real:

Oh, to have been a fly on the wall within that recreation center to not only witness that game of basketball but also hear the conversations that were being had. (I also wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bit of trash-talking as well.) What I’m also curious about are the identities of the other comics who apparently joined Sandler, Farley and Clooney on the court. Regardless, based on the Waterboy’s recollection, he had a great time with his peers, and I just find this memory to be so cool.

It’s always sweet to hear Adam Sandler share great anecdotes about his friends, including those who are no longer with us. Chris Farley – one of SNL's most iconic stars – sadly passed away at the age of 33 in 1997 due to a drug overdose. While it’s been nearly 30 years since Farley’s passing, Sandler still pays tribute to him as do other comedians. Sandler’s performances of the Farley song are also particularly moving.

The “Sandman” also goes back a ways with George Clooney, and one of their first public outings as friends was a trip to a New York Knicks game. Overall, the event proved to be a humbling experience for Sandler, who admitted to feeling “invisible” next to Clooney. Despite having known each other for so long, Sandler and Clooney haven’t worked together until just recently, as they co-star in the 2025 movie release Jay Kelly. That film is actually the reason Sandler was at that awards event in the first place along with Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet. Funny enough, their chat took place at Fairfax High School in LA where they played basketball against students.

Honestly, I’m not sure what I love more – Adam Sandler’s love of basketball or his sweet stories about his celebrity friends. It’s rare that those two elements sync up but, when they do, it’s incredibly sweet. Here’s hoping that Sandler has more pickup basketball games with his famous chums moving forward.

In the meantime, check out George Clooney’s episode of Saturday Night Live – which is part of Season 20 – by streaming it with a Peacock subscription. There are also plenty of great installments that highlight the comedic brilliance of the great Chris Farley.

Adam Sandler’s latest 2025 Netflix release , Jay Kelly, has him paired with a co-star I didn't have on my bingo card, George Clooney, but I’m all for it. In the film, Sandler and Clooney play out the deep friendship between a famous actor and his agent during their European travels. In real life, Clooney and Sandler have been friendly for some time but, early on, one of their outings served as a truly humbling experience for the latter.

Given Adam Sandler and George Clooney were actors who dominated in the ‘00s, I’m surprised it’s taken them this long to work on a film together. Both stars reflected on their relationship while speaking with The New York Times and recalled that they first met after Clooney hosted SNL in 1995. Around that same time, Sandler -- a breakout cast member on the show -- believed he was “becoming a star” until the pair attended a New York Knicks game:

With Sandler known for being such an extreme basketball fan, it’s no surprise his first hangout with Clooney was a Knicks game. As much as I would've felt for the comic during that awkward outing, I find it funny that all eyes were on the dreamy ER actor. If anything, though, Sandler seemed to get a reality check that he can joke about now.

The Jay Kelly co-stars certainly had big careers ahead of them after 1995. Sandler starred in his stand-out comedies from his own production company, Happy Madison, and Clooney went on to headline blockbusters and award-winning movies. Still, the Gravity actor got real with The NY Times about always wanting to work with his buddy in the years since they attended that game:

Thank you, Noah Baumbach! It’s great that he was able to pair Sandler and Clooney for a film and cast them as friends at that. The two stars are so versatile in being able to channel their dramatic and comedic range. Plus, given both were already friends, there was a built-in comfortability.

While the two stars of Jay Kelly have been promoting their movie, it’s truly amazing to see the profound effect Clooney has had on Sandler. For example, the Michael Clayton actor has apparently been making his friend to wear suits more. With that, Sandler has been amping up his red carpet A-game lately with his snazzy attire.

Fashion aside, though Clooney has been emphasizing that Sandler is more than simply a comedian. If Sandler can possibly receive an Oscar nomination for Jay Kelly, as pundits speculate, who better to encourage that potential than his longtime friend?

I love that this celebrity friendship began in earnest with a Knicks game in 1995, and one that saw Adam Sandler realize the magnetism George Clooney possessed. While it may have been embarrassing to feel "invisible" then, I'm pretty sure few people would ignore Sandler if they saw him at a game today.

Check out Sandler and Clooney in Jay Kelly, which is now playing in select theaters amid the 2025 movie schedule. The Noah Baumbach-helmed flick will also be streamable with a Netflix subscription starting on December 5th.

By all accounts, George Clooney is one of the best actors of his generation and one of the most accomplished stars in the history of Hollywood. Clooney’s wave of success began in earnest in the ‘90s, when he landed the role of Dr. Doug Ross on NBC’s ER, which became a success. However, before taking on the role of the noble and suave medical practitioner, Clooney had to pay his dues and that meant experiencing his share of failures. The fan-favorite actor reflected on that part of his career while speaking with CinemaBlend.

Clooney spoke with us while promoting his 2025 movie release, Jay Kelly, which sees him play a seasoned actor struggling with personal regrets from his past. Considering the character’s journey, CinemaBlend asked Clooney how his own life and career compare to Jay’s. Clooney opined that unlike him, Jay found success early on and, as he explained, it took him some time to find his own footing within show business:

That’s a lot of pilots and TV shows to go through before landing a steady gig. The Facts of Life, The Golden Girls, Roseanne and even a sitcom called E/R are just a few of the credits George Clooney landed early in his career. Of course, it’s far from uncommon for an actor to move from job to job before having their breakthrough. (Just ask David Harbour, who likened his own path to Clooney’s.) Despite those struggles, Clooney now appreciates how those (and his loved ones) have helped ground him:

The Gravity star shares those children with wife Amal Clooney, who he’s been happily married to since 2014. While the couple maintains a sense of privacy for the sake of their family, the details they have shared suggest they enjoy their lives together. Funny enough, the two have watched ER together, and George humorously explained that he got in some trouble with Amal due to Dr. Ross’ skirt-chasing tendencies.

It really goes without saying that George Clooney has come a long way from playing one of the most iconic TV doctors of all time. He’s long since moved to film, headlining massive films like Out of Sight, Three Kings, the Ocean’s trilogy and Michael Clayton. Of course, we can’t forget that TV, as Clooney put it, was his “launching pad,” and I’m glad he’s gained such a keen sense of perspective from the ups and downs of his decades-long journey as an actor.

Check out his work in Jay Kelly, which is now playing in select theaters and will be available for Netflix subscription holders to stream starting on December 5. Also, any ER fans out there should know all 15 seasons of the show (five of which star Clooney as a regular cast member) are streamable with an HBO Max subscription.

Everyone’s aware of Adam Sandler’s talents as a comedian, and we even got to see him reprise one of his most famous characters in Happy Gilmore 2 earlier this year. However, much of the latest chapter of his career has been defined by his more serious roles, and next up on the 2025 movie calendar, we’ll see the Sandman teaming up with George Clooney and some other heavy-hitters for Jay Kelly. So what are critics saying about the dramedy?

Jay Kelly has already hit theaters for a limited time before it premieres on the Netflix schedule on December 5. George Clooney stars as the titular movie star who sets out on a journey of self-discovery, with his loyal manager Ron (Adam Sandler) in tow. The movie is getting mostly positive feedback, but critics seem to agree it lets its main character off the hook too often. Mark Kennedy of the AP mentions this but ultimately says he likes director Noah Baumbach’s love letter to Hollywood. He gives it 3.5 out of 4 stars and says:

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com rates it 3 out of 4 stars, pointing out a lot of good, but saying much of Jay Kelly feels calculated and too neat. Adam Sandler, however, according to Tallerico, saves the movie with a performance that some think could win him his first Oscar. The critic says:

Owen Gleiberman of Variety says Noah Baumbach is doing what he does best: feeding us a dialogue-driven drama that feels ripped from personal observation. However, the film is a bit too forgiving of the title character and doesn’t allow us to buy Jay Kelly as a flawed individual. In Gleiberman’s words:

Stephanie Zacharek of Time writes that Adam Sandler plays his role “superbly,” and Laura Dern threatens to steal it all in one scene with him. George Clooney, meanwhile, couldn’t be more well-suited to play Jay Kelly, getting to razzle-dazzle one minute and brood over his mistakes the next. But too often the movie refuses to dig deep into its actor’s conflicts, Zacharek says, continuing:

Nick Schager of the Daily Beast simply isn’t buying the “woe-is-me” version of George Clooney that he says mistakenly assumes that the routines of the rich and famous are the stuff of great drama. Schager calls the project “saccharine, toothless, and cheesily meta,” concluding:

It seems the most common complaint amongst the critics is that Jay Kelly doesn’t hold its protagonist accountable for the things he’s done to find himself in this state of identity crisis. Still, the majority of the critics are rating it favorably, to the tune of a Certified Fresh 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

If you want to see George Clooney and Adam Sandler in action, check your local theaters to see if there’s a showing near you, and if not, fire up that Netflix subscription when it hits streaming on Friday, December 5.

As one of Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs ever, George Clooney’s love life has been a topic of public conversation for a long time. Even if some of the discourse transformed after he and his now-wife, Amal, tied the knot in 2014, his relationship status remains relevant. Now, though, we get to hear Clooney’s perspective on his partnership, and unsurprisingly, it sounds like its fairytale levels of lovely.

Ahead of his 2025 movie Jay Kelly releasing, the talented actor sat down with CBS to reflect on his professional and personal endeavors. Naturally, married life, Amal and their relationship were covered. It seems like not much has changed since George Clooney met Amal, as he shared that their bond continues to triumph over trivial matters, especially now, after a decade of marriage:

If you’re married or even in a long-running relationship of any kind, you can feel this sentiment. And, more than likely, many of us can offer up an equally bullish idea from our younger years. Luckily, with the Wolfs star believing that he won the lottery, and claiming, "Everyone would say the same thing," I’m not surprised this is his MO. It’s classic Clooney charm at its finest, and it’s sweetly taken root with the woman of his dreams.

In addition to the romantic mindset, living in France on a farm and their no phone house rule probably helps sustain it. Even this first sentence, and the personal lifestyle choices they opt for, scream puppy love in the style of Ryan Gosling’s Noah Calhoun from The Notebook. But then George Clooney expanded on these rose-colored dynamics, revealing that they’ve never had a conflict (which annoys others). The ER actor said:

If anyone had doubts, this certainly clears up just how enamored Clooney is. It seems that when either gets a chance to chat about it, they just radiate adoration. (Case and point: the secretive Valentine's Day plans he wouldn’t discuss in case Amal caught wind or Amal getting candid about him stepping up as a dad.) It makes me think that’s maybe why he’s not interested in romantic movie roles anymore, outside of age.

Well, wherever George and Amal Clooney jointly, or respectively head, the future Ocean's 14 included, one thing is certain: their marriage seems swoon worthy levels of blissful.

Want to watch Clooney on the big screen? Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly has a limited release in theaters now. Or, you can have a Netflix subscription ready to go for its December 5th streaming debut.

De-aging technology has become somewhat commonplace for Hollywood productions, and that’s something George Clooney is aware of. That method has been used in various films at this point, but not all directors utilize such tech when given the chance. That was the case with Clooney’s 2025 movie release, Jay Kelly, as writer/director Noah Baumbach opted to instead cast another actor to play a younger version of Clooney’s eponymous character. And, based on his chat with CinemaBlend, Clooney was very happy to avoid being de-aged.

In addition to Clooney, Charlie Rowe plays the titular Jay Kelly for a limited portion of the movie. That’s an interesting (and admittedly, refreshing) move on Baumbach’s part, considering he could’ve opted to use visual effects to make Clooney appear like his younger self. CinemaBlend recently asked Clooney about that decision, and he revealed there was a discussion about which route the creative team should take. The Oscar winner also revealed a few technical reasons as to why he was pleased with another actor playing Jay:

George Clooney appears to be of the opinion that the de-aging process isn’t always so successful, and his points are fair. While some skilled VFX artists do succeed in making actors resemble their younger selves on screen, the finished products sometimes fall into the uncanny valley range. The voice and physicality elements Clooney mentioned are also fair, as hear a performer still sound or 70 when they’ve been de-aged to their 30s for a role. During the interview, Clooney doubled down on his perspective:

Having seen more than a few films that utilize technology that makes stars look younger, I can certainly say the results vary as do actors’ opinions on the process. For example, Robert De Niro – who gets de-aged in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman – expressed concerns that the tech might make movies look too “cartoony.” Also, Vera Farmiga stepped in when The Conjuring: Last Rites’ director wanted to de-age her and co-star Patrick Wilson. On the other hand, though, some actors are more upbeat about the process, including Julie Bowen, who’s de-aged in Happy Gilmore 2.

Noah Baumbach’s willingness to cast a second actor to play Jay Kelly is respectable, though. As for the film itself, it centers on aging actor Jay, as he reflects on life while on a European excursion with his trusty manager (played by an Oscar worthy Adam Sandler). Also part of the ensemble of this 2025 Netflix release are Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Greta Gerwig, Stacy Keach and more. George Clooney certainly leads a stellar ensemble, one that doesn't require any de-aging.

Jay Kelly is now playing in select theaters and, starting on December 5, it’ll be available for Netflix subscription holders to stream.

Celebrity prank wars can be so much fun to witness, and George Clooney and Brad Pitt have one of the most infamous ones. While Clooney, in particular, is well-known for sending fake letters from other celebrities, both of the Ocean’s Eleven stars have done some pretty diabolical things to each other. So where did the whole war start? Let’s dive into the inciting prank between these “forever friends” and the stories behind some of the other stunts they’ve pulled.

George Clooney’s First Prank On Brad Pitt Involved A Pot Leaf Bumper Sticker

George Clooney appeared on a segment of The Graham Norton Show ahead of the release of his upcoming Netflix movie Jay Kelly, which hit the 2025 movie calendar on November 14 for a short theatrical run. When asked about the prank war between the Wolfs stars, Clooney admitted that they’ve done “terrible things” to each other, and he thinks it all started when they were filming Ocean’s Eleven. He recalled:

He makes a good point that the back of one’s vehicle is a vulnerable spot, but this should serve as a warning to all of George Clooney’s future co-stars. So what did he do to Brad Pitt’s car? He continued:

I can only imagine how that conversation between Brad Pitt and the responding officer went down. However, that’s certainly not the only fun the Up in the Air star has had at Pitt’s expense.

George Clooney Sent Meryl Streep A Gift ‘From Brad Pitt’ Ahead of The Iron Lady

It sounds like Jimmy Kimmel is actually to blame for some of these antics, as the late-night host has said he’s the one who gifted George Clooney stationery with Brad Pitt’s name at the top. That resulted in quite a few celebrities getting fake letters from the Fight Club actor, including Meryl Streep ahead of her Academy Award-winning role in The Iron Lady. Clooney told Graham Norton:

If one is going to dish out the pranks, however, one should be prepared to get them in return, and Brad Pitt got retribution when the Ocean’s Twelve cast traveled to Italy for filming.

As George Clooney has told it, his co-star sent a memo to the movie crew and residents of Lake Como, the Italian town where Clooney has had a house for decades, saying the actor requested that no one look him in the eye and that they only address him as “Mr. Clooney” or “Mr. Ocean.” When he realized what Pitt had done, Matt Damon said Clooney was “the maddest I’ve ever seen him.”

Expect More Pranks Between These Two In The Future

One of the more brilliant (and terrible) things about George Clooney’s tricks is that he doesn’t reveal his hand for a year or two later, he said. In fact, he’s currently got one in the works, and he indicated that we’ll all know when the jig is up, saying:

Well he certainly knows how to leave us wanting more! While we wait for George Clooney’s apparent arrest (I hope he actually is joking about that), you can catch him in Jay Kelly in theaters now, or wait until Friday, December 5, when it can be streamed with your Netflix subscription.

I know that when I think of some of the most powerful young actors, Zendaya and Glen Powell are two of the first names that come to mind. It turns out George Clooney – yes, the George Clooney – thinks that too, as he opened up about why they are two young stars who seriously impress him. Talk about high praise!

At the moment, George Clooney is making the rounds and talking about his project on the 2025 movie schedule, Jay Kelly. He stars in that film alongside Adam Sandler and Laura Dern, and I think it’s safe to say all three of them are legendary movie stars. Now, the Ocean’s Eleven actor is also opening up about the next generation of talent, and he specifically gushed about Zendaya and Glen Powell. Starting with the Euphoria star, here’s what he had to say about her on THR’s Awards Chatter podcast:

I totally get what he’s saying. Zendaya isn’t just a movie star. She is also a fashion icon and does a lot of work outside of film. She won an Emmy for Euphoria, and she’s the face of multiple brands, including Louis Vuitton and On. Her stardom surpasses just film. However, the movies are also one of the elements that make her so iconic.

Case in point, on the 2026 movie schedule alone, she’ll be part of four major releases – The Drama, The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dune: Part Three.

As George Clooney said, she can do it all, and she can do it all well, just like he can. While Zendaya does fashion campaigns for designer brands, Clooney does ads for Nespresso. While Zendaya has made a name for herself on television, with Euphoria, Clooney broke big with one of the best hospital-set TV shows, E.R. And on top of all that, they can both effortlessly carry a film.

The Oscar winner also had a lot of praise for Glen Powell, who has had a few big years in a row after he spent years working his way up in Hollywood (much like Clooney did). Following the release of Top Gun: Maverick, his star has risen exponentially, and in the last two months alone, he’s led a TV show, Chad Powers (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription), and he’s about to release The Running Man, which he’s the star of.

Speaking about why the 37-year-old actor is one to watch, Clooney said:

When Clooney says he’s “not ready to call it all dead yet,” he’s referring to movie stars. There’s been a lot of chatter recently about whether there are any, and it’s clear that this movie star thinks there are. I happen to agree too.

While movie stardom might look different now than it did a few decades ago, there are major young stars working right now, and they’re only getting bigger. So, pay attention, folks, because I think George Clooney is right. Actors like Zendaya and Glen Powell are among the next generation of major movie stars, and it will be so exciting to see what they do next.

In an era where the size of one’s celebrity is often judged by their social media following, and it's been said movie stars no longer exist, George Clooney is a movie star. However, he's one who, unlike Tom Cruise, doesn’t spend time on social media. Not only does he not mess with social media, but he actually recommends that aspiring actors not mess with it either, and he’s honestly got a compelling argument.

George Clooney is back in the awards conversation this year, thanks to his new movie, Jay Kelly, alongside Adam Sandler. As such, he recently appeared on THR's Awards Chatter podcast, where he revealed that he tells actors looking for advice to get off of social media, because being part of it opens the door to losing out on roles if their following isn’t big enough. Clooney said:

It’s an interesting argument, but one that actually makes some sense. To the degree that anybody still goes to the movies based on a desire to see a particular actor, the social media following of that actor is a numerical gauge of just how popular an actor is. An actor who has more followers than another is de facto more popular. We know studios are going to take any advantage they can to try and make any given movie a success, so if it means casting a role based on popularity, so be it.

So while a social media following has the potential to help an actor break out, those numbers can also be a hindrance if they don’t compare favorably to others. As such, not being on social media can actually help, as it becomes impossible for one’s relative popularity to be accurately judged.

Of course, George Clooney knows he’s something of an old man yelling at clouds in this case. Social media can be a major source of income for celebrities, which is going to make actors not using it a pretty big ask. Fans also like social media because it makes movie stars more accessible than ever before, but that’s exactly why Clooney thinks not having it can be a benefit. He continued:

To be fair, George Clooney still has that classic movie star appeal that a lot of actors don’t have anymore. Perhaps that’s all because we don’t see him posting selfies on Instagram every day. Maybe we could all learn something from him.

George Clooney might be the man of our dreams, but, apparently, a different movie star is the man of his. The Oscar-winning actor recently shared one of the craziest ways his mind has wandered while he’s asleep. The Ocean's Eleven star got candid about one of his most unhinged dreams, which featured his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, fellow silver screen star Harrison Ford and an indoor Jacuzzi.

As of late, Clooney has been promoting his upcoming 2025 release, Jay Kelly. While doing press for the film, the A-lister took part in a lengthy interview with Esquire. That chat includes anecdotes about Clooney's early acting days, how he feels about the state of his career and what led him to be a successful movie star without ever being associated with one particular role. Clooney also got candid about the interesting dream he had, which involved Ford knocking him down a peg:

Apparently, this dream may have spawned from George Clooney anticipating meeting Harrison Ford at a birthday party, and the mind has a crazy way of spinning the most innocent of interactions into a crazy dream. The part where Clooney had to sit in the backseat of a car while being third wheel in his wife’s Ford love affair is hilarious, and I’m curious to know what Amal thought about this. When George met Ford, he told him about the dream and of course he had the perfect reaction:

I love that Clooney was starstruck by Ford, given the former is one of the coolest guys on the planet. Of course, his only possible competition being a movie star like Ford. Of course, the Star Wars icon reacted in the most Harrison Ford-way possible, totally living up to his reputation. I’d also like a rough figure on how many people have gone up to Ford explaining their hot-tub related dreams because, apparently, Clooney is far from the first.

This story is charming and chaotic, and a perfect movie-star anecdote for Clooney to share. This is par for the course for the Michael Clayton star, who has had many stories told about him over the years about pulling pranks on Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise and shipping motorcycles to Italy. He may be having a fan boy moment over Ford, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s had that effect on others as well, and has been the subject of a handful of dreams that involve hot tubs and beautiful Italian properties.

When George Clooney isn’t dreaming of Harrison Ford, you can see him in Jay Kelly, which hits select theaters on November 14th and will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription on December 5th. For more information on other exciting titles heading to the streamer this year, make sure to consult our 2025 Netflix release schedule.

When Adam Sandler isn’t working, his typical wardrobe (aka “Sandlercore”) consists of oversized tees, baggy shorts, and sporty sneakers. But lately, the American actor/comedian has been trading in his basketball shorts for slacks ever since landing Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, a role that could make him an Oscar contender. As Sandler’s been amping up his red carpet game, his co-star George Clooney has his own mission—to get the man in a suit.

The movie pairing of Adam Sandler and George Clooney may not have been on anyone’s bingo card, but it’s truly working for me. Based on the trailer of the 2025 Netflix movie Jay Kelly, the budding chemistry between the two shines through. Sandler plays the manager of Clooney’s character, a famous actor, and the two travel to Europe together.

Just like Sandler’s character is there for Clooney’s, the Ocean’s Eleven star has made sure to be there for his bud in “making” him wear more suits in public. At the Jay Kelly AFI Fest premiere, wearing a debonair navy suit, the Happy Gilmore actor jokingly told ET about his two-time Oscar-winning co-star “forcing” him to don a fancy wardrobe and why he’s going along with it:

Look at Adam Sandler trying to impress his co-star. With the E.R. alum’s classy red carpet style, it’s easy to see why he’d share his fashion wisdom with Sandler. If you're gonna walk the walk on the red carpet, you gotta look the part.

I also believe it’s because Clooney wants the world to see his Jay Kelly co-star in a whole new light. Previously, the Up in the Air actor said he thought of Sandler as more than just a good comedian, but as a “really beautiful, wonderful actor.” A high-class wardrobe like Clooney’s would certainly help Sandler look like the serious, award-worthy performer that the Golden Globe winner sees him as.

Adam Sandler may have humorously explained his choice of baggy clothing was to keep his body “hidden.” But standing next to George Clooney at the AFI Fest, both looking handsome in their slick suits, it’s clear Sandler has a newfound confidence that the Michael Clayton star helped bring out. Take a look at the two A-listers looking smooth on the red carpet:

Now, that’s how you glow up in style. The two actors look effortlessly sharp, with charm and charisma being the best ingredients to represent their dramedy flick.

While you can easily blame George Clooney for Adam Sandler’s new style choices, rumors are circulating that there could be another reason for the attire turnaround. There’s already Oscar buzz that Jay Kelly could be the entry flick for Sandler to finally score an Oscar nomination. It was unfortunate that he got snubbed for his outstanding Uncut Gems performance. But hopefully the Netflix movie will be the Billy Madison star’s chance to show The Academy what he’s made of, and that he’s got the Oscar ceremony wardrobe to flaunt.

Who would have thought that George Clooney would be such an awesome stylist for Adam Sandler? The baggy garbs may still be the Big Daddy star's first choice. But if his new sharp suits can help amp his chances for an Oscar nomination, Sandler will know exactly who to thank for that. You can watch the stylish duo in their new movie, Jay Kelly, playing in select theaters on November 14th and hitting your Netflix subscription on December 5th.

George Clooney made a film trilogy based on an old Rat Pack movie, Ocean's 11, and he was a fitting guy to do it. That's because Clooney an actor who has always had something of an air of old Hollywood about him. Hard drinking has always been a part of that image and, while at 64 years old, the actor may not drink like he used to, he apparently got completely smashed at the Tony Awards this year. The A-lister doesn’t mind admitting it either.

In a new profile for Esquire, George Clooney reveals he almost completely stopped drinking during the six-month period he was rehearsing and performing Good Night and Good Luck on Broadway (for which he also dyed his hair). However, following the Tony Awards, where the show was nominated for multiple awards, Clooney decided to celebrate, and he really went for it. As he recalled…

George Clooney and alcohol have a strong history together. He’s not necessarily known as a party animal who has ever drank like this a lot. However, the guy once owned a tequila company before he sold it for a billion dollars, so his connection to booze will always be strongly established.

The Wolfs star said that because of the way alcohol can impact a person's sleep, as well as their voice, he almost entirely gave up drinking to make sure he’d be able to perform on stage for so many nights. Once he was done, however, he apparently felt the need to catch up on everything he missed.

Drinking so much that you spend the next day sick can happen at any age, but it’s certainly going to be a rougher ride at 64. Still, Clooney apparently thought the entire experience was hilarious. A lot of stars wouldn’t necessarily talk in public about the time they got falling-down drunk after a major awards show, but Clooney certainly doesn’t feel embarrassed about it at all.

Whether it's occasionally drinking like he’s a younger man or playing pranks on his friends, George Clooney is someone who clearly never lets his age get in the way of having fun. One expects that if the planned Ocean's 11 sequel that is currently in development gets underway, Clooney and all his friends will have a lot of fun together. I could see there being plenty of drinking then, too, though hopefully not so much that Clooney has to go to work hungover. He’s too old for that.

Check out Clooney's latest film, Jay Kelly, which opens in select theaters on November 14 and will be streamable with a Netflix subscription starting December 5.

George Clooney is one of Hollywood’s last legendary movie stars, evoking a sense of old school sophistication and swoon-worthy charm. But if you’ve been missing his handsome face onscreen lately, there’s a reason for that. Don’t worry, there’s no need to rush his career to the ER, as he’s still very much in the acting game. Rather, the Wolfs actor’s priorities have seemingly shifted, as he recently opened up about moving his family to France, and why staying in Hollywood would’ve ‘worried’ him.

Yes, George Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney, and their now eight-year-old twins have lived on an estate in France since 2021. The move away from Hollywood hasn’t impacted Clooney’s career too much given his upcoming Netflix release Jay Kelly and Ocean's 14 in the works, but it certainly limits options. However, the Ticket To Paradise actor doesn’t seem to care, telling Esquire he knows it was the right decision for raising his kids:

I love this take so much because you can tell he genuinely cares about his kids happiness. The internet can be a difficult place to navigate, and it’s no secret that too much screen time isn’t great for social development. It's something Clooney is adamant about for his guests too based on his house rules. His protectiveness of his kids goes beyond limiting screen time though, as it played a major role in the Ocean’s 11 actor’s decision to live abroad:

Clooney’s not the only celebrity to express concern over raising their kids in L.A. Mark Wahlberg, Matthew McConaughey, and James Van Der Beek are just a few of the many actors to leave Hollywood, citing that it was the best decision for their families.

The majority of them have chosen to relocate elsewhere in the U.S, with some even choosing off-the-grid locations such as rural Vermont. Taking things international is a big move though, but I think Clooney might be on to something. There’s a lot more financial incentive to film abroad these days, and he is at the point in his career where productions are willing to come to him. His new film Jay Kelly filmed at four on-site locations, three of which were close to home in Europe.

The actor’s been accused of only taking on characters similar to himself in films, an accusation only fueled by Noah Baumbach’s latest feature, in which Clooney plays a famous older actor, grappling with the concept of aging in the industry.

However, if these are the roles he’s getting, and he still manages to wow audiences with his talent (and he’s doing fine on that front), what’s the problem? Being sought after for roles instead of the other way around is certainly a luxury he’s earned. It’s a privilege that allows him to take on a more involved parental role, making memories such as painting a fence with his kids, a sweet anecdote he shared in the interview:

Based on how the twins pop in and out of this interview, dressed in costumes playing make believe, and also their history of pulling pranks on their parents, I’d say from an outside perspective, the Clooneys are doing a pretty good job as parents. Knowing the actor and his incredible human-rights lawyer of a wife are good people at heart makes me an even bigger fan, and I can’t wait to watch Jay Kelly with my Netflix subscription when it drops December 5.

It would seem that we’re actually pretty close to getting the band (and by that I mean the Ocean’s cast) back together, as George Clooney has finally shared a very positive update about progress on Ocean’s 14. Along with sharing where they’re at in terms of conversations with the studio, he also explained when he thinks the long-awaited movie might start filming, and let’s just say, the heist is getting closer to beginning.

At the moment, Clooney is promoting his project on the 2025 movie schedule, Jay Kelly. While at the New York Film Festival, where the new flick is being screened, E! News asked him about the Ocean’s Eleven continuation. In response, he actually gave a pretty big update, explaining:

Wow! What an update! For quite some time now, we’ve gotten vague comments here and there about what’s going on with this fourth Ocean's film. However, this feels like the most solid news we’ve received about the upcoming movie in a long time.

An approved budget and an actual timeline for filming tell me this film is probably well on its way to being made; talk about great news!

A little over a year ago, in September 2024, we got an update about the Ocean’s 14 script from Clooney. He explained at the time that there was a “good script” that everyone liked. Then, earlier this year, Brad Pitt called it “pretty damn tasty.” Before that, we didn’t have much to go on, with Matt Damon even saying in August of 2024 that he hadn’t heard much about the project.

Now, though, it sounds like the crew is very close to their next heist. After sharing the update that filming could start in nine or ten months, Clooney also gushed about reuniting with his co-stars. When asked specifically about working with Pitt again, he enthusiastically responded with an answer about the ensemble as a whole, saying:

It would be fun for them and us! I need more Ocean’s one-liners and smooth and hilarious moments from this stellar ensemble. Plus, I’ve been dying to catch up with this crew. While we did get Ocean’s 8 in 2018, that wasn’t super connected to the original trilogy. So, it’s really been 18 years since we’ve seen Ocean’s Eleven on our screens. Personally, I can't wait to see how these characters have evolved over the last almost two decades.

By the time Ocean’s 14 comes out, it will have been likely over 25 years since that first Las Vegas heist, and I’m sure fans will be more than ready for another con – I know I will be. So, stay tuned, folks, this movie is in the works and on the move, and hopefully, sooner or later, it will be on the big screen for all of us to see.

When you’re successful enough, you can basically wear whatever you want. In Hollywood, you can see how that's true in a myriad of ways. Many famous people dress very well, wearing high-dollar suits. Others wear more casual clothes, though often clothing that costs a great deal more than it looks like it does. Adam Sandler has been one star who is clearly more comfortable in basketball shorts and sneakers, but recently, something has changed.

It was noticed when Adam Sandler appeared at the Venice Film Festival that he was dressing up more than we usually see him. Fans suggested it was all part of an awards season campaign for his new film with George Clooney, Jay Kelly, and that Sandler was playing the part necessary for award voters to potentially consider him, a move deemed necessary following Sandler falling short of an Oscar nomination for Uncut Gems.

It turns out, however, that Sandler’s change in style came from somewhere a little closer to home. Speaking to People on the red carpet at the screening of Jay Kelly for the New York Film Festival, George Clooney says he’s the one who has been pushing Sandler to wear suits, and thinks the actor looks much better because of it. Clooney said…

I’m not going to tell a grown man how to dress. I can barely tell my kids that, but I’m on team Clooney on this one. Adam Sandler looks pretty good in a suit. He’s also standing next to George Clooney, who always looks really good in a suit, and is holding his own, which just shows how well Sandler can pull it off. Sandler looks like he does this every day.

In Jay Kelly, George Clooney plays the title character, a famous actor who, alongside his friend and manager, played by Adam Sandler, travels through Europe while confronting the choices they made that brought them to where they now find themselves.

Sandler and Clooney play close friends in the 2025 movie schedule entry, and it appears that art very much imitates life as the Ocean's Eleven star celebrates his co-star and their own friendship. Clooney himself has complimented Sandler's performance in Jay Kelly, and he really seems to love his co-star, saying…

While Sandler’s new look may be at the urging of his friend and co-star, it doesn’t mean it won’t also have the effect of endearing Sandler to award season voters. While it’s far too early to tell, both Sandler and Clooney could be in line for some award season love. It seems clear that if they win those awards, they’re both going to look great on stage.

Bad auditions are as much of a norm in Hollywood as sunshine and craft services, and while they can sometimes be detrimental to a career or specific project, it’s not always a bad thing for famed actors to whiff on promising roles, which hindsight can speak to. Case in point: megastar George Clooney recently reflected on one of his least positive attempts to secure a role, which led to a surprisingly harsh comment from Francis Ford Coppola.

Clooney was speaking about an incident from nearly 35 years ago, when he auditioned for one of the more high profile horror adaptations of the 1990s, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Considering it’s also one of the most sexually charged horrors of note, it’s perhaps no surprise that a soon-to-be sex symbol like Clooney was hoping to be involved. Despite any amount of self-confidence the actor had, however, the Godfather director rather swiftly deflated it. As Clooney put it to IndieWire:

To be fair, the ER vet didn’t explicitly say whether or not he was drunk, but I’d put all my money on him being dead sober for that audition. After all, Francis Ford Coppola directed some of the best movies in cinema history, so I doubt anyone would want to intentionally botch such an experience by going in hammered. But I’m definitely curious about what Clooney could have done in the audition that sparked the filmmaker to call his agent with such an accusatory question.

The clip above doesn’t even make it clear which role Clooney was auditioning for. If he was aiming to land the Jonathan Harkness role that eventually went to Keanu Reeves, it’s even more curious, since that roles is as straightforward as it gets, and I can’t think of any particular scenes that would be helped along by a heightened performance.

Perhaps if Clooney was trying out for the role of R.M. Renfeld, which eventually went to the gravel-voiced Tom Waits, it would make sense for his performance to be a bit erratic and off-the-cuff, given that character’s fraught and tortured existence. Otherwise, I’ve no clue.

Why George Clooney's Botched Dracula Audition Was Better For Horror Fans In The Long Run

While George Clooney's presence may very well have added some additional quality points to Bram Stoker's Dracula as a final product, I can't help but believe that starring in such a high-profile vampire movie in 1992 would have kept the actor from later co-starring in Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's 1996 genre-flipping classic From Dusk Till Dawn. Considering he's such a masterful part of that sordid, blood-soaked feature, I don't even want to consider what it might have been like with another '90s actor playing Tarantino's brother.

Sure, Dracula may be more critically acclaimed on the whole, and has a better shot at being relegated essential viewing than From Dusk Till Dawn would, but if you ask me 10 times which movie I'd rather watch for the fun of it, I'm going to say FDTD all 10 times. Featuring co-stars such as Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Danny Trejo, Salma Hayek and more, the heist-horror-comedy caper is an NSFW roller coaster ride that keeps viewers rollicking for its entire runtime. For nearly 20 years now, I've considered it to be one of the best vampire movies ever.

Bram Stoker's Dracula, for all that I do sincerely love it, is really a snooze in comparison. It's a faithful retelling of Stoker's novel, albeit with plenty of creative tweaks, and amidst plenty of quality performances, Gary Oldman is truly running on all cylinders in multiple roles. But the truly exciting moments are fewer and farther between than they are in Rodriguez's film.

Plus, exactly zero Titty Twister strip clubs are to be found in Transylvania. I mean come on!

In any case, George Clooney's career isn't exactly suffering, although as a horror fan, I'd love it if he could find the time to jump back into another genre effort before he retires from acting altogether. From Dawn Till Dusk, anyone?

Ryan Coogler's Sinners was an instant classic when it hit the 2025 movie schedule, gaining widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Despite that, I took far too long to watch what may become my favorite Michael B. Jordan movie, though Creed still holds a special place in my heart. I love this movie, and I think a large part of it is because of the Oscar-winning movie it reminds me of.

While this vampire period-piece certainly is in a league of its own in storytelling, I couldn't help but be reminded of my favorite movie of all time while watching. As it turns out, even the director acknowledged the similarities between Sinners and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and I have to talk about it because I would love it if more people started copying these movies.

Sinners Reminds Me A Lot Of O Brother Where Art Thou

In terms of plot, Sinners and O Brother, Where Art Thou? couldn't be any more different. One is a drama-turned-horror tale about two mobster brothers using their money to start a juke joint for their friends, the other is a comedy about three escaped convicts on the run and in search of treasure.

Given those descriptions, the casual observer wouldn't think there's a chance they have anything in common. There's no juke joint in O Brother, Where Art Thou? and almost certainly no vampires. There's also no treasure in Sinners, though I guess in that regard, you could say both movies are similar.

Of course, anyone who saw both movies would spot the similarities pretty quickly. Both films are set in Depression Era Mississippi, and there's music involved. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it's a spiritual successor to the Coen Brothers' movie, but of course, we know that's not the case. That said, if anyone wants to come by and make a third movie that hits on these three key points, I'd love for this to be an unofficial trilogy!

Both Have Plenty Of Music, Without Bordering Into Being A Musical

While I'm not sure it would ever be included in a list of the best music movies of all time, one cannot deny the catchiness of all the music that's in Sinners. Between the characters of Sammie and Remmick, there are some toe-tapping tunes that would make anyone move, living or dead.

When talking about the similarities between Sinners and O Brother, Where Art Thou? when it comes to music, the blues influence is a major standout. I also appreciate that both movies worked with the cast and, if they could, allowed them to play alongside the actual musicians. The exception being George Clooney, who, despite his famous aunt, was not gifted with her singing ability.

What I love most about both of these movies is how much music they incorporate, but neither would be classified as a musical. At the same time, both stories are heavily intertwined in the music, serving as a vehicle for the greater story that's being told.

Ryan Coogler Listed O Brother Where Art Thou As An Influence On Sinners

Ryan Coogler is, understandably, a lover of movies. He leaned on his love of many iconic films of the past to help make Sinners, and hasn't been shy about sharing which ones. In an interview with SciFiNow.com, he ran down the list of influences, and as one might guess, O Brother, Where Art Thou? was included:

I can see the Salem's Lot influence (especially since we wrote about it), but there's a part of me that feels as though Ryan Coogler is underselling just how much of O Brother, Where Art Thou? is found in the movie. The music alone was what set off alarm bells, but it's not the only thing.

I think the fact that the movie is set in Mississippi during the Prohibition Era does a lot of heavy lifting as well. Even when they're about two different things, it's hard not to compare them when it looks like the characters could show up in each other's movies.

I know the rumor mill about Sinners getting a sequel has run rampant, but if it's not all of the characters of these two universes meeting, I'm not sure I need to see it. In truth, the ship might've sailed in having these two worlds collide, considering how much time separated the two movies. Still, I'm sure Hollywood would love to hear a pitch if anyone has ideas.

Where You Can Watch Sinners On Streaming

Those looking to stream Sinners right now can do so with an HBO Max subscription, provided they have one. Those without still have the option of renting it on their preferred platforms for a decent price, given the movie has been out of theaters for a while. If you've made it this far and are still unsure if they want to check it out, CinemaBlend's perfect review was pretty glowing.

Where You Can Watch O Brother Where Art Thou On Streaming

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a bona fide classic, and anyone who enjoyed Sinners will likely enjoy it as well. The southern tale, which is an adaptation of the literary classic The Odyssey, won Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography, and of course, has a fantastic soundtrack.

It's every bit the classic that I think Sinners will ultimately be, and I hope the fact that the Academy showed love to the Coen Brothers movie is a sign that Ryan Coogler's film will get the same love when award season finally rolls around. It did come out only just after the previous award show, so hopefully, voters don't have a short memory over just how incredible the vampire movie was.

The Venice Film Festival is in full swing right now, and that means there is plenty of celebrity fashion to delight in. Fans nearly missed a spectacular display on Thursday night, however, after reports rolled around veteran actor George Clooney was under the weather. Thank goodness he managed to ditch the bug because Amal Clooney had one of the most spectacular red carpet looks I’ve seen this year.

On Thursday night, Clooney and his wife hit the carpet for the premiere of his new movie Jay Kelly. The look was a high-low contrast dress in a deep shade of pink. A couple of years ago, we may has said she was “giving Barbiecore,” but it’s clear from this dress the color is timeless on Amal.

The memorable moment seemingly almost didn’t happen, though. In fact, earlier yesterday reports indicated George Clooney was out with a sinus infection and had bowed out of some Venice events on the 27th. Paparazzi even caught him taking a boat back to his hotel to sit out for a bit.

His publicist Simon Hall said at the time the 64-year-old actor was under “doctor’s orders” to “cut back” on his activities. Apparently, this meant he took a break to deal with his sinus infection, but this wasn't like the time he was hospitalized during The Midnight Sky. In fact, he rallied by the time the premiere came around on Thursday evening. I mean, if I knew my wife were busting out that dress, I’d probably figure out how to get my rear out of bed, too.

Let’s just take another moment to celebrate their letter-writing love, and more importantly, that dress.

I’m loving the nod away from the early aughts/ Y2K fashion references that have been trendier lately. I also appreciate the vintage pattern, the fuschia color, and the way the dress accentuates Ms. Clooney’s long legs. (Frankly, that dress would make me look like a peacock, but she looks amazing.) The gown is from Jean-Louis Scherrer by Erik Mortensen. Not everyone can pull off bold vintage, and not everyone really appreciates a style like this, but Clooney can and does. It’s giving her that early era supermodel vibe, and I hope to see more looks like this in the future.

She’ll get a chance pretty soon, as Jay Kelly should go on more of a premiere tour before its release on the 2025 movie schedule on November 14th. That is…. as long as George can keep those sinus infections at bay.

It may still be summer, but “awards season” is already here. The Venice Film Festival is just getting underway, and among its various offerings will be many 2025 movie schedule entries that are expected to compete for Oscars. The stars of those projects are arriving in Venice, too, and among them is one Adam Sandler, who looks a bit different than usual.

Sandler’s last appearance at the Oscars was as part of a comedy skit with host Conan O’Brien, where he wore basketball shorts among the tuxedos and evening gowns. To be fair, that’s the way the actor tends to dress a lot of the time, and it was the way he had been dressed when spotted earlier in Venice.

Then, however, things changed. Sandler later transformed, as he was seen in slacks and even a coat. It’s a bit unlike the Saturday Night Live legend, though it's also a bit more like what we’d expect from an actor at a major film festival.

So why is Adam Sandler going to the extreme of wearing pants? Well, the admittedly somewhat tongue-in-cheek reason suggested on social media by @JillianChili is that it’s all part of his Oscar campaign.

Sandler co-stars with George Clooney in the upcoming drama Jay Kelly, and the assumption is that the Happy Gilmore actor is “playing nice” in order to give himself the best chance at scoring an eventual nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Comments include…

Now, the real reason Sandler changed his outfit so drastically is unknown and potentially something much more mundane. However, fans are humorously suggesting that, after the pic in shorts got out, he got a call from Netflix, who told him that he wasn’t going to win an Oscar dressed like that. As @mi4d0lan put it…

Jay Kelly stars George Clooney as the titular character, a veteran actor who finds himself reflecting on his career. Sandler plays Kelly’s manager, who goes on a similar journey. Early buzz around the movie, and possible awards contention for both actors is strong, and Sandler may very well have that in mind as the promotional tour gets underway. If he has a shot, as @brmarotta noted, why not take it?

Back in 2019, Sandler starred in Uncut Gems, a movie where his performance was roundly praised, and many thought would garner an Oscar nomination. While Sandler won Best Actor awards from numerous critic organizations, he failed to get even a nomination at the Academy Awards. Based on comments Sandler made, he seemed to very much want the recognition, so maybe he really is doing what he can to curry favor, as @Iouisrabinowitz posted:

Critics will have the first say as to whether Adam Sandler has a real shot at an Oscar. Audiences will see Jay Kelly as part of a limited theatrical engagement in November, ahead of gaining access with a Netflix subscription in December.

Whether Adam Sandler has a real Oscar chance remains to be seen. However, I have to say, the slacks look good on him.

Adam Sandler is one of the funniest comedic geniuses of our time–there’s no denying that. The Happy Gilmore actor has the repertoire and the reputation to prove it. Yes, a lot of them are silly, going for that unexpected yet predictable punchline joke. So, there's this perception that the Grown Ups actor is nothing more than a comedic actor. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth, and it would seem that George Clooney agrees with me.

For those who don’t believe Sandler is more than a comedic actor, I challenge you to look at his entire movie catalog again. Each performance, even his comedy roles, signal the Big Daddy actor can go deeper, and he has on multiple occasions, including the upcoming Noah Baumbach picture, Jay Kelly.

In the upcoming Netflix film, Sandler supports George Clooney’s character, Jay Kelly, an older movie star actor who travels across Europe as he learns the reality of fame and success. The two became very close over the course of filming, and Clooney told Vanity Fair just how much he admires Sandler’s work, saying:

The two first met decades ago when Clooney hosted SNL, and they’ve been friends since. In a way, both parts seem written for them. The Ocean's Eleven actor mirrors the main character Jay Kelly to a T, while Sandler plays Kelly’s manager, who holds unconditional loyalty and love for his longtime client and friend. In my opinion, Sandler’s best movies are in the romance genre (50 First Dates is my favorite), so he knows how to sell love extremely well.

I do find it ironic, though, that Uncut Gems is the movie Clooney uses as an example to showcase the Billy Madison actor’s versatility. Uncut Gems is most commonly the one movie people reference when talking about the SNL alum’s foray into more serious roles. The critically acclaimed, suspenseful A24 film about a high roller gambling addict showed his ability to play a different kind of character, one that’s a lot less likable.

That movie came out in 2019, though, and Sandler, to Clooney’s point, has been a versatile actor for much longer than six years. I raise you one Punch Drunk Love, the Paul Thomas Anderson film that really was Sandler’s feature debut in a dramatic role, and if you haven’t seen it, I highly suggest you check it out.

In this film, Sandler plays a kind, lonely man looking for love, a task challenged by occasional angry outbursts. While this may seem like the plot to another somewhat goofy Sandler rom-com, there’s an element of suspense added when his character, Barry Egan, gets a call from an extortionist.

For a lot of people, this was likely the first time watching the Waterboy actor sans all the slapstick jokes, and after seeing Punch Drunk Love, there is no one else better to play that role. Previous Sandler collaborator and Spaceman director Johan Renck said that it's almost better when typically comedic actors excel in dramatic roles, because the audience is even more moved when they see a sort of rare vulnerability from the actor. And that's exactly what Sandler did in this movie, and his other dramatic films.

I tend to find that every Sandler role has heart, whether it’s comedic or not, but I definitely see Renck’s point. Needless to say, as an Adam Sandler fan, I always love seeing him reach outside his comfort zone. So I can’t wait until his team-up with Clooney when Jay Kelly hits the 2025 movie schedule on December 5.

Upon hearing that George Clooney and Adam Sandler were going to be in a dramedy together, my ears perked up. That anticipation has only grown after seeing the teaser for their 2025 movie Jay Kelly, which will be headed to theaters and Netflix this fall. However, after watching this footage, I have one more reason to be excited, as a venerated co-star of theirs stole the show.

All it took was three words, which provided the closing laugh line for this first look at director Noah Baumbach’s latest. Or rather, it only took 2020 Academy Award winner Laura Dern saying those words, in a perfectly deadpan manner, to send me out on a laugh that could carry me to November 14th. That simple grouping of words?

Trust me, in the context of the trailer above, it makes absolute sense. Though even out of context, simply knowing that Ms. Dern is saying this to George Clooney’s character could still make you laugh. Especially when Adam Sandler is standing over the other shoulder of Jay Kelly’s titular actor in crisis, playing the straight man like a champ.

While I’ve called this upcoming Netflix movie a dramedy, I feel like I’m doing it a disservice. After all, Netflix’s first Jay Kelly announcement labeled the movie as a “heartbreaking comedy,” and I take such a distinction seriously. The official synopsis for the picture even fleshes out some of the existential fun George Clooney and Adam Sandler will be having, as both men are looking over their lives and careers and wondering if they’re really where they want to be.

There’s clearly a very meta framework at work in Jay Kelly, right down to a scene that makes a recent interview in which George Clooney addressed “playing himself” all the more appropriate. Balancing all of this out are encounters with other members of this stacked ensemble, which also includes Billy Crudup, Jim Broadbent, Riley Keough, and Greta Gerwig.

While we may not totally know what to expect from any of those people in this world, this photo of Ms. Gerwig with Adam Sandler certainly looks charged with emotion.

Heartbreak certainly feels like it’s lingering around the corner in this world, even as our leading man drops an f-bomb when seeing a huge ad with his face on it. That leaves Laura Dern another opportunity to shine, as her dramatic chops could also be well served by Jay Kelly’s introspective story. It certainly wouldn’t be called a teaser if they gave you everything up front, would it?

Jay Kelly certainly has the potential to rival some of George Clooney’s best movies, as well as becoming a strong candidate to become yet another “surprisingly good” Adam Sandler film. However, I’ll be watching to see how Laura Dern fares, as she’s already got my vote for being a strong glue that bonds this picture together.

Should I be proven correct, I do hope that Mr. Clooney will consider finding a place in that Ocean’s 14 script where she can join the team. We’ll have to wait to see what happens, as Jay Kelly will debut in select theaters on November 14th, with its Netflix streaming debut set for December 5th.

After making headlines earlier this year for his Tony-nominated performance as Edward R. Murrow in the Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck, George Clooney is set to contribute to the 2025 movies schedule as the titular lead of Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly. This feature, which co-stars Adam Sandler and Laura Dern, premieres at the Venice Film Festival on August 28, and the public will be able to watch it for themselves by November. In the meantime, Clooney has addressed the claims that he only plays himself in his movies.

This criticism was brought up while the actor was speaking to Vanity Fair as part of a first look at Jay Kelly. After praising Sandler, whom he told to the movie’s cast shouldn’t be looked at “like he’s just some goofy comedian. He’s actually a really beautiful, wonderful actor,” Clooney had this to say about his own performances being scrutinized:

Whether you agree with this particular criticism about George Clooney’s performances or not, he doesn’t care either way. Those three movies mentioned certainly rank as some of Clooney’s best movies, and he’s content with the variety of projects he’s been able to do over his acting career. Then, after throwing in a quote from Jay Kelly that was applicable to the conversation (“Have you ever tried playing yourself? It’s hard to do.”), Clooney continued:

George Clooney is talking about his breakthrough role NBC’s medical drama ER, where he played Dr. Doug Ross for over 100 episodes and netted himself two Emmy nominations. It wasn’t longer from there when he hit Hollywood star status with cinematic offerings like the aforementioned O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Perfect Storm and Ocean’s Eleven. Batman & Robin, on the other hand, should not be counted on that list.

The point being, George Clooney’s content with how his acting career has turned out, so he doesn’t particularly care if there’s a perceived lack of versatility in his performances by some people. He’s clearly done quite well for himself, with his other accolades including two Academy Award wins and six other nominations, and four Golden Globe wins and nine other nominations. Just don’t expect Clooney to appear in anymore romantic films, as he’s officially done with that genre.

Jay Kelly will be available for those with a Netflix subscription to watch starting on November 14. You’re also welcome to break out your Apple TV+ subscription to stream George Clooney’s last movie, 2024’s Wolfs, which co-starred Brad Pitt and, unfortunately, is not getting a sequel after all.