It’s being reported that Bradley Cooper is set to write and direct a prequel to Ocean’s Eleven. This comes after the news that Lee Isaac Chung stepped away from the project.
It’s rumored that Cooper will be starring in the film as well, but that has not been confirmed. Margot Robbie is already set to star in the project. Cooper recently directed Is This Thing On? starring Will Arnett. The actor/director has been nominated for 12 Oscars, including Best Picture for A Star Is Born, Joker, Nightmare Alley, American Sniper, and Maestro.
The Ocean’s Eleven franchise began with the 1960 heist film Ocean’s 11 starring members of the Rat Pack, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.. The film followed a group of World War II veterans who plan a daring New Year’s Eve robbery of multiple Las Vegas casinos at once. Though modestly received at the time, the movie became a cult favorite thanks to its star power and breezy depiction of the Rat Pack’s on-screen camaraderie.
The property was revived four decades later with Ocean’s Eleven, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts. The slick remake was a major commercial and critical success, spawning two sequels—Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen—that further expanded the stylish ensemble-heist formula. The franchise later continued with the female-led spin-off Ocean’s 8 starring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the series’ mix of glamorous settings, clever capers, and star-studded casts.