Doug Liman is tackling the heist genre in his next film, The Instigators. Stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have experience in heist films through their collaborations with Steven Soderbergh. But despite their similarities in the genre, Liman believes The Instigators and Ocean's trilogy are very different films.
The Instigators — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
The Ocean's films glorify crime and feature professional thieves. The Instigators are about blue-collar workers who steal money out of necessity. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Liman explained how it took him some time to realize that The Instigators is the opposite of The Ocean's films.
"There was just a script that Chuck MacLean wrote and then Casey rewrote. 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 anyone completely distanced themselves from a 30,000-foot view of it until I read it. I thought, 'This is The Bad News Bears of heist movies. This is the anti-Ocean</em>s.'"
"Rory (Damon) and Cobby (Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con who come together to steal a corrupt politician's ill-gotten gains. But when the heist goes wrong, the two are caught in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by the police, but by benighted bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses," reads Apple's official synopsis. "Out of their depth, they convince Rory's therapist (Hong Chau) to join them on their riotous escape through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to avoid capture — or worse."
