As the saying goes, when one door closes another opens. And following the unexpected departure of Twisters director Lee Isaac Chung from Warner Bros. long-gestating Ocean’s prequel movie, with studio spokespeople citing “creative differences” as the cause for departure, it looks like another filmmaker has eyes on the period heist project. Per Deadline‘s reporting, Is This Thing On? helmsman Bradley Cooper — who’d already been circling a role starring alongside Margot Robbie in the film — is now in the frame to write and direct the movie.
Boasting a script penned by A Family Affair scribe Carrie Solomon, this Ocean‘s prequel — first floated as a Margot Robbie and Jay Roach project back in 2022 — is playing its cards close to its chest plot-wise for now. The last we heard however, Robbie’s pitch for the prequel is a 60s set European heist caper, with the setting inspired by the original Frank Sinatra starring 1960 Ocean’s movie. And although no deals have been closed for Cooper on the directing, writing, or indeed starring front at this exact moment in time, the fact Deadline is reporting Warner Bros’ plan remains to get the film shot before 2026 is through — and that Robbie and her LuckyChap banner are still aboard — would suggest talks are at least advancing in a positive direction.
Between this planned Ocean’s prequel and the still-upcoming Ocean’s 14, which star George Clooney has said is set to shoot this year with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Julia Roberts all returning and David Leitch reportedly aboard to direct, it’s a good time to be a fan of the stylish heist franchise. If both come together, we may have to assemble our own crack team of thieves to nab tickets to those premieres.
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