An “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel was originally set to shoot in late 2023, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling leading the cast. Jay Roach was directing, and Linus Sandgren (“La La Land,” “Saltburn,” “Babylon”) was lensing.
Two years and many delays later, the project has undergone a few key changes in front of and behind the camera: Roach is out, and “Twisters” director Lee Isaac Chung is his replacement. While Robbie is still in, Gosling has now been replaced by Bradley Cooper.
The film is set to start shooting next year, and although plot specifics are said to be “locked,” according to Deadline, Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman previously reported that the film would be titled “Oceans,” with Cooper and Robbie playing the parents of Danny Ocean, the character portrayed by George Clooney in Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven.”
In the film, the Oceans will teach their children—young Danny and Debbie (the latter originally played by Sandra Bullock)—the art of stealing from the rich. Set against the backdrop of the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix, the project was described as a stylish, old-school caper inspired by Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief.”
The current screenplay is by Carrie Solomon, who wrote the ill-received 2024 Netflix movie “A Family Affair.” Solomon has no other writing credits listed on her IMDb page.
The ‘Ocean’s’ franchise peaked with its first instalment, both commercially and artistically. Its 2004 sequel, “Ocean’s Twelve,” veered into self-aware experimentation, while 2007’s “Ocean’s Thirteen” course-corrected by returning to the slick, crowd-pleasing formula of the original.
And then there was the all-female spin-off, “Ocean’s 8.” If you barely remember it, you’re not alone. The film underperformed enough for Warner Bros. to shelve that iteration of the franchise and not revisit it until very recently, when George Clooney confirmed that he would be shooting “Ocean’s 14” next year with Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle.
So, yes, we might be getting two separate Oceans movies shooting next year, a prequel and a sequel. It’s all a bit too much, but Warner Bros, no doubt motivated by their massive box-office year, believes it’s time to revive this franchise.