Doug Liman: The Instigators Is the ‘Anti-Ocean’s’ Heist Movie

Doug Liman is tackling the heist genre in his next film, The Instigators. Stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have experience in heist films from working with Steven Soderbergh. But despite their genre similarities, Liman believes The Instigators and Ocean’s trilogy are extremely different films.

The Ocean’s films glamorize crime and feature professional thieves. The Instigators involve blue-collar workers stealing money out of necessity. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Liman explained how it took him some time to realize The Instigators is the complete opposite of the Ocean’s movies.

“There just was a script that Chuck MacLean wrote and then Casey [re-wrote]. It was kind of in the family,” Liman said. “Ben [Affleck] worked on it, but I don’t think there was ever a moment where someone fully stepped back to a 30,000-foot view of it until I read it. I was like, ‘This is The Bad News Bears of heist movies. This is the anti-Ocean’s.’”

What to Expect in The Instigators?

“Rory (Damon) and Cobby (Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician’s ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses,” Apple’s official synopsis reads. “Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture — or worse.”

Besides Damon and Affleck, The Instigators stars Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Jack Harlow, and Ron Perlman.

Liman directs The Instigators on a script by Affleck and Chuck Maclean. Producers include Jeff Robinov, John Graham, and Kevin J. Walsh. Damon and Ben Affleck will produce through their Artists Equity banner.

The Instigators will have a limited theatrical release on August 2, 2024, before streaming on Apple TV+ on August 9, 2024.

(Source: The Hollywood Reporter)

Dan Girolamo

Dan Girolamo is a multifaceted content creator with nearly a decade of experience in pop culture, sports, and entertainment. Dan has interviewed some of the top stars in the entertainment and sports industry, including Brendan Fraser, Alison Brie, Adam DeVine, Michael Bisping, and Machine Gun Kelly.