Bradley Cooper may direct and star in Warner Bros.’ ‘Ocean’s 11’ prequel with Margot Robbie, keeping the long-developing project moving.
After a string of director departures, Warner Bros.’ long-gestating “Ocean’s 11” prequel may have found its next captain — and he’s already on board as a potential star.
Bradley Cooper is now the leading choice to write and direct the upcoming heist film while also starring opposite Margot Robbie, according to sources close to the production.
If the deal closes, Cooper would guide the project creatively while stepping in front of the camera as well — a move that could help steady a movie that has spent years reshuffling its creative team.
The film is being developed by Warner Bros. and produced by Robbie’s production banner LuckyChap Entertainment. The studio had previously attached director Lee Isaac Chung, who stepped away from the project after filmmaker Jay Roach had earlier exited as well.
Bringing Cooper aboard could keep the project on schedule to begin filming before the end of the year.
For Cooper, the job would mark his fourth outing behind the camera. He previously directed the Oscar-winning music drama A Star Is Born and the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, building a reputation for actor-driven storytelling. He most recently helmed the indie comedy Is This Thing On?.
Adding a glossy studio franchise to that résumé would represent a notable pivot into big-budget territory.
The prequel’s script, written by Carrie Solomon, reportedly moves the action back to 1960s Europe, exploring a chapter of the Ocean’s universe that predates the slick Las Vegas crew audiences met in Ocean’s Eleven (2001).
That film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, became a modern heist classic, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts.
Soderbergh’s stylish caper launched a mini-franchise with Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen before expanding with the female-led spin-off Ocean’s Eight in 2018.
That installment starred Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna.
The series itself traces back even further to the Rat Pack era. The original Ocean’s 11 premiered in 1960 with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop pulling off their own stylish casino heist.
Meanwhile, the Ocean’s universe is far from finished. Clooney has previously confirmed that another ensemble sequel is being discussed, centered on the aging thieves navigating the realities of getting older while still plotting elaborate crimes.
The prequel also forms part of LuckyChap’s growing partnership with Warner Bros., which deepened after the global success of Barbie — the Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster that earned more than $1.4 billion worldwide.
The company continues to expand its slate, with projects including Wuthering Heights directed by Emerald Fennell and a reimagining of Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman with Tim Burton.
For now, Warner Bros. has declined to comment. But if Cooper officially signs on, the prequel could finally move from development limbo into production — giving the Ocean’s world a new origin story and a fresh creative voice to guide it.
