The cast for Bradley Cooper’s “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel keeps growing. Now comes word that Monica Barbaro has joined the ensemble, which already included Cooper, Margot Robbie, and Wagner Moura. All four are Oscar nominees. So is Linus Sandgren—a winner for “La La Land”—who will serve as the cinematographer.
I’m a fan of Barbaro, who had a breakout turn in “Top Gun: Maverick,” was more recently Oscar-nominated for “A Complete Unknown,” and starred in this year’s “Crime 101.” She also happens to be in Luca Guadagnino’s “Artificial.” Her star keeps rising.
Cooper’s prequel, which he completely rewrote after coming aboard as director, is simply titled “Oceans.” It stars him and Robbie as the parents of Danny Ocean, the character portrayed by George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven.” Moura plays the film’s villain. In the prequel, the Oceans teach their children—young Danny and Debbie (the latter originally portrayed by Sandra Bullock)—the art of stealing from the rich. Set against the backdrop of the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix, the film is described as a stylish, old-school caper inspired by Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief.”
This will be Cooper’s fourth directorial effort after “A Star Is Born,” “Maestro,” and “Is This Thing On?” Given the talent involved, behind and in front of the camera, “Oceans” is starting to have some real potential, and there is still more casting to come.