According to Puck News, Bradley Cooper is in talks to direct an Ocean’s Eleven prequel. The project is being developed by Warner Bros. Pictures and LuckyChap Entertainment, which is owned by Margot Robbie. Robbie herself is set to both star in and produce the upcoming film, making her central to the production.
Who was at the helm before
Lee Isaac Chung, best known for Minari and Twister, was originally attached to direct. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker developed the project in close collaboration with Robbie, but left it several weeks ago. The reason for his departure is described as an “amicable split due to creative differences,” i.e., they parted ways amicably over creative differences.
Cooper wearing two hats
The information that Cooper may take the helm as director didn’t come out of nowhere. The actor had previously been in talks to take part in the film in a major role. Thus, directing becomes a natural extension of his involvement in the project, and juggling two roles is familiar territory for Cooper.
Summer start in Monaco
The production details look fairly specific. Filming is scheduled for this summer, with Monaco as the primary filming location. This means the project moves into active production in the coming months, and there isn’t much time left to lock in a director.
Who wrote the script—and what it’s based on
The script was written by Carrie Solomon. A key legal detail: the film is based on characters created by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell, whose original work formed the basis of the entire Ocean’s franchise.
The 1962 Monaco Grand Prix as a possible backdrop
Unconfirmed reports suggest the prequel may revolve around the events of the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix. This rumor has not been officially confirmed by the studio or anyone involved, but the choice of Monaco as a filming location indirectly supports that theory.
Ocean’s 14 is a separate project
It’s important not to confuse the prequel with another project in the universe. Ocean’s 14 is being developed in parallel and is a standalone film. In December, George Clooney said the budget had been approved, and filming was planned for the summer. Ocean’s 14 is being positioned as a spiritual successor to the 1979 film Going in Style. The two projects are moving on separate tracks, even though they exist in the same cinematic universe.
A bid for a broader audience
For Cooper, directing an Ocean’s prequel may be a step toward mainstream audiences. His most recent directing efforts, Maestro and Is This Thing On?, failed to draw a broad audience and failed to meet awards-season expectations. A franchise with a recognizable brand and a global fan base numbering in the hundreds of millions could offer a completely different scale of box-office upside.
But there are skeptics who question the project’s chances of success. The main reason for these doubts is that the romance of casinos is increasingly less appealing to today’s audience, which more often uses online gambling platforms. They offer 24/7 access to gambling games whether they’re in Australia (Robbie’s home country) or the United States (Cooper’s). As an additional advantage, players cite no deposit casino bonuses and other promotions. Not to mention the wide selection of games that simply can’t be found in traditional land-based casinos. So it’s no surprise that this hobby has recently shifted to the online segment.
The popularity of online casinos has led to land-based gambling venues gradually losing their aura of romance. This could negatively affect the popularity of both Ocean’s 14 and the prequel among younger audiences, who are visiting land-based casinos less and less often. At the same time, they are the core moviegoing audience in theaters.
As of publication, Warner Bros. Pictures and Cooper’s representatives had not commented.
