Bradley Cooper To Direct the Ocean’s Eleven Prequel?
With Lee Isaac Chung out, Bradley Cooper could do more than star in the Oceans Eleven prequel, eyeing the director’s chair and multiple roles behind the camera.
The Ocean's universe just got busy. The 1960s-set prequel lost its director, but the con might have found a new ringleader in Bradley Cooper. And yes, there is movement on a separate sequel that could reunite George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Two parallel plays, one very active franchise.
The prequel: director out, door open
Lee Isaac Chung, who most recently did Minari and Twisters, has stepped off the Ocean's Eleven prequel. A studio spokesperson called it "an amicable split due to creative differences" and praised him as "a singular filmmaking talent" whose work with the studio and LuckyChap has been invaluable. The plan, they say, is to keep collaborating with him on something else.
Even as the broader Paramount–Warner Bros. merger moves forward, this prequel is considered a priority title in-house, so the director search kicked off immediately. Margot Robbie remains attached to star, with her LuckyChap Productions producing. Bradley Cooper had been circling a role, but now the conversation has shifted in a bigger way.
Bradley Cooper, triple threat?
Current chatter has Cooper potentially stepping in to write and direct the prequel in addition to starring. Talks are active, but nothing is signed. LuckyChap and the creative team are said to be very into the idea, which tracks given Cooper's run behind the camera on A Star Is Born, Maestro, and Is This Thing On? Those films pulled plenty of critical and awards attention.
The script on deck is by Carrie Solomon, based on characters created by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell. Story details are locked down, but earlier reporting pointed to 1960s Europe and an adventure centered on the parents of Danny and Debbie Ocean — aka the Clooney and Sandra Bullock characters.
Meanwhile, Ocean's 14 has a pulse
Separate from the prequel, there is another sequel in development aiming to bring back some of the original crew — including Clooney, Brad Pitt, and a few others. Clooney teased this back in 2023 with: "We have a really good script for another Ocean's now, so we may end up doing another one. It's actually a great script." He also framed the vibe as "kind of Going in Style," nodding to the 1979 heist comedy where George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg decide to rob a bank.
On the logistics side, Clooney said the studio already signed off on the money: "We just got the budget approved at Warner Bros. and we're trying to set up," adding that it's now a scheduling puzzle, with hopes to "probably start in about nine or ten months, shooting."
The short version
- Lee Isaac Chung exited the Ocean's prequel after an "amicable" creative split; the studio and LuckyChap praised his work and want to team again.
- Margot Robbie is still starring, LuckyChap producing, and the prequel remains a key focus even amid the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger.
- Bradley Cooper is in talks to write, direct, and star; no deal yet, but enthusiasm is high after his A Star Is Born, Maestro, and Is This Thing On? run.
- Script by Carrie Solomon; earlier intel points to 1960s Europe and the parents of Danny and Debbie Ocean.
- Separately, an Ocean's 14-style sequel with Clooney and Pitt is alive, with a script Clooney called "great" and a budget reportedly approved; scheduling is the final hurdle.