Hold onto your wallets...Danny Ocean and his crew of thieves are coming back for another installment of the popular crime heist films. Warner Bros. Pictures announced yesterday that they have set July 21 as the start date for Ocean's 13. This would be the second sequel in the series.

Producer Jerry Weintraub announced that all the male principals are expected to return to their roles, including recent Oscar-winner George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan and Shaobo Qin. Andy Garcia will reprise his role as Ocean's nemesis, casino owner Terry Benedict. Also returning is director Steven Soderbergh, who helmed the first two films in the Ocean's series.

However, both Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones are not expected to re-sign for the third film. Weintraub, in a press release, explained that currently the script doesn't really call for either of the characters played by the actresses in the previous films and it seemed pointless to have them back just for cameos.

The new femme fatale of the series will be played by actress Ellen Barkin, who has steamed up screens in the past with roles in films like The Big Easy and Sea of Love.

The current caper for Ocean and his crew will supposedly take place in Los Angeles and Las Vegas (scene of the first film's heist). Unlike the other two films, which were shot primarily on location, filming for Ocean's 13 will mostly take place on five soundstages in Los Angeles. One of these stages will feature a built-from-scratch fully operational casino set, which I'm guessing will double for a Vegas setting.

I'm curious as to how the tone of this third film will be. The original had a very 60's feel to the way the story was shot and the sequel had a definite 70's European spy/James Bond feel to it. Will they keep the retro vibe for the new film, or will they try to make it a more contemporary crime heist? Weintraub and company are keeping a very tight lip on any specifics.

Ocean's Eleven, which was based on the original 1960 film of the same name, and its sequel Ocean's 12, were both big at the box office, pulling in a combined total of over $810 million worldwide. The total rises even more once dvd sales are figured in. So it was never really a question of "if" the film would be made, but when.

No release date has officially been announced for Ocean's 13, but word is the studio is aiming for a 2007 release.

*movie still copyright 2004 Warner Bros. Pictures and used with permission*

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