Bradley Cooper Circling to Direct, Write, and Star in OCEAN'S Prequel with Margot Robbie

Warner Bros. is still pushing forward with its long-developing Ocean’s franchise prequel, and now a pretty exciting name has entered the conversation.

Bradley Cooper is looking to write, direct, and possibly star in the project after Lee Isaac Chung stepped away from the director’s chair. While nothing has been finalized yet, the studio and producers are interested in making it happen as they try to keep the production on track for a shoot before the end of the year.

This still-untitled prequel already hasMargot Robbie attached to star and produce through LuckyChap. Cooper had also been reported as a potential co-star for a while, so he’s been involved with the project for some time already.

It’s important to note that nothing has been signed yet, but if the pieces fall into place, Cooper stepping in could give the project a serious creative boost.

Chung originally joined the film after Jay Roach exited the production. With Chung now out, the prequel once again finds itself looking to lock down a new director as the studio works to keep things moving. According to Warner Bros., the separation with Chung happened on good terms.

“This is an amicable split due to creative differences,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement.

Despite the change, the studio made it clear they enjoyed working with the filmmaker. In a joint statement, Warner Bros. and LuckyChap praised Chung, saying he is a “singular filmmaking talent whose vision and partnership have been invaluable to Warner Bros. and LuckyChap throughout this journey.”

They added, “Our experience with him has only deepened our enthusiasm to collaborate on future projects together.”

The original script for the prequel comes from Carrie Solomon, and the story is reportedly set in 1960s Europe. Official plot details are still locked away, but the timeline places the story before the events of Ocean’s Eleven, the slick 2001 heist comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh.

That film starred George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and moreas a team of smooth-talking criminals planning a massive Las Vegas casino robbery. It was a huge hit and eventually led to two sequels before the franchise expanded again with the female-led spinoff Ocean’s Eight starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and Rihanna.

Of course, the franchise itself traces all the way back to the original 1960 film Ocean’s 11, which famously featured members of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack.

A stylish crime story set across Europe in the 1960s sounds like a perfect playground for the Ocean’s brand. Pairing Robbie with Cooper in a period-set caper also feels like a natural fit for the franchise’s slick criminal charm.

There’s also a larger business story unfolding around Warner Bros. at the moment. The studio is currently in the process of being sold to Paramount Skydance, which leaves some uncertainty around projects currently in development.

Still, Paramount CEO David Ellison has stated that the merged company plans to release 30 films per year once the deal closes, which means the pipeline will need plenty of new titles.

For now, the Ocean’s prequel remains in development with Robbie attached to star and Cooper potentially taking on multiple roles. Once the director situation is settled, we should finally get a clearer idea of when cameras might start rolling on this new chapter in the long-running heist franchise.

Source: Deadline