Weintraub gears up for ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’
Weintraub gears up for ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’
The Associated Press, Francois Mori The Dessert Sun
Producer Jerry Weintraub is known for his huge, circus-style promotions, going back to his days as concert promoter for Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
In 2004, Diane Sawyer’s “Primetime Live” interviews with Weintraub and the cast of “Ocean’s Twelve” from the producer’s Bighorn Golf Club home in Palm Desert helped turn the sequel into a hit on par with its predecessor, “Ocean’s Eleven.”
But with “Ocean’s Thirteen” hitting theaters this week, Weintraub may be even topping himself.
Last month he canceled an interview in Los Angeles before going to the Cannes Film Festival in France because “Getting together right now is impossible. I can’t even get together with my dinner. “Hey, that’s a good one,” he said, brightening like the high-roller he played in “Vegas Vacation.” “That’s a Weintraubism.” Stateside promotions for “Ocean’s Thirteen” begin today with Weintraub and leading men George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon adding their hand and footprints to the cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. A publicist said Weintraub is the first producer to be so honored. “Ocean’s Thirteen” will have its North American premiere tonight at Grauman’s, with stars Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Al Pacino and director Steven Soderbergh expected to attend. The film will then launch the CineVegas Film Festival Wednesday with Weintraub receiving its Vanguard Producer Award. Weintraub, who earned a lifetime achievement award at ShoWest in Las Vegas earlier this year, said he hadn’t sought the producer awards in Vegas, but CineVegas offered to make a large donation to aid victims of the conflict in Darfur in Sudan. Weintraub and the “Ocean’s” cast will attend a Chicago premiere Thursday that also benefits the International Rescue Committee for Not On Our Watch to aid victims in Sudan. “This is the most hectic schedule because I’m doing so many events,” Weintraub said. Weintraub won’t have much time to rest after “Ocean’s Thirteen” premieres and goes wide on Friday. His next movie, “Nancy Drew,” opens June 15.
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