What Would Bradley Cooper’s Ocean’s Movie Look Like?

I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in … to the ocean? Following the exit of director Lee Isaac Chung from Warner Bros.’ planned prequel to the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, rumors have now emerged that Bradley Cooper may be in talks to write and direct the film. Cooper had already been attached to star with Margot Robbie, who is producing through her LuckyChap Entertainment production company. Cooper is also no stranger to a heist, having stolen away the rights to Leonard Bernstein’s life right out from under Jake Gyllenhaal. Carrie Solomon had been previously attached to write the prequel’s script, though plot details remain under wraps.

The move would mark Cooper’s fourth directorial effort — following A Star Is Born, Maestro, and last year’s Is This Thing On? — and would also mark his first time helming an ensemble rather than a film primarily focused on just one or two characters’ noses. But just how many members of this heist team are we talking?

Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen have already been taken by the Steven Soderbergh trilogy (the first of which was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name), with a Fourteen also on the way. George Clooney told Variety that the sequel is in development with himself, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon all returning. Then there’s of course the far-superior female-led Ocean’s 8 (starring Sandra Bullock as Danny Ocean’s sister, Debbie Ocean) — with 9 and 10 presumably being reserved for its long-overdue sequels. The lack of green light on those sequels is a much bigger crime than any of the ones that happen in the movies.

Unless they plan on going big, that presumably leaves Cooper with one through seven actors to hire and coat in bronzer and prosthetics. But who? The obvious choice is of course Gail from A Star Is Born (Rebecca Field), but while we’re pulling from his past collaborators, let’s not rule out Amy Sedaris (Is This Thing On?), Halsey (A Star Is Born), or the Snoopy Balloon (Maestro). Better yet, maybe he should just hire the entire Wet Hot American Summer cast as an apology for bailing on the sequel series. The heist? Stealing our hearts.