Heisters, listen up. The upcoming Ocean’s Eleven prequel may have found its director and writer in its potential star, Bradley Cooper.
The Hollywood heavyweight, who is perhaps best known for directing and starring in A Star Is Born opposite Lady Gaga, has been in talks to star in the film alongside Margot Robbie, but the conversation seems to be turning into more for Cooper. According to Variety, Warner Bros. wants him to take on writing and directing duties in addition to leading the cast.
Two filmmakers have already exited the director’s chair on this project — Meet the Parents director Jay Roach first, then Twisters director Lee Isaac Chung earlier this month — so this news is big for the future of this film. But Cooper’s involvement could be even more significant than his celebrity brings to the table, though. If he were to officially sign on to the film, it would allow production to stay on schedule and get the film shot before the year is out, according to the outlet.
The film is said to be set in 1960s Europe and explores what happened prior to the 2001 film starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt. Speaking of Clooney, there’s another new Ocean’s film in the works and he’s at the heart of that project, which is supposed to explore the original group in their older years.
“There was something about the idea that we’re too old to do what we used to do, but we’re still smart enough to know how to get away with something, that just appeals to me,” Clooney revealed of the plot of his Ocean’s sequel to Variety last year. “They’ve lost a step, and they need to find a way to work around their limitations.”
The original Ocean’s Eleven film was released in 1960, and the 2001 movie was a reboot of that project. It got two sequels, 2004’s Ocean’s Twelve and 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen, and a 2018 female-led re-quel Ocean’s Eight.
As for Cooper, he made his directorial debut with 2018’s A Star Is Born, which he also wrote. From there, he went on to write and direct 2023’s Maestro and 2025’s Is This Thing On.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
