The Ocean’s 11 prequel may have finally found its director, and the search didn’t have to go very far. Deadline confirms an earlier report by Puck that Bradley Cooper, who entered talks to join Margot Robbie in the cast a few months ago, is now eyeing to direct, write, and star.
When first announced three years ago, Jay Roach was set to direct. After long delays, he dropped out and was replaced by Minari filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung. Chung exited just days ago, leaving a vacancy behind the camera. Cooper, who is still negotiating to replace Ryan Gosling as the co-lead opposite Robbie, now seems close to expanding his part in the production considerably.
Cooper is coming off three critically successful films as director: A Star is Born, Maestro, and Is This Thing On? If he boards Ocean’s 11 as writer as well as director, it’ll be interesting to see if he alters the rumored plot, set in 1960s Europe, with Robbie and Cooper playing the parents of Danny Ocean, the character played by George Clooney in three Ocean’s movies. Carrie Solomon (A Family Affair) wrote the most recent script draft.
