Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper Starring in Ocean’s Eleven Prequel! My Thoughts!
CinemaCon is happening this week, that means we’re getting announcements and updates about upcoming films. One of them being new information about an Ocean’s Eleven prequel that stars Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper. What do I think about it? Here’s my thoughts!
My Thoughts
So this is a project that’s been in development for a few years now, in 2022 it was announced that Margot Robbie would be starring in this film with Ryan Gosling. Jay Roach was attached as the director of the project, but due to conflicts both Gosling and Roach dropped out. In July 2025, Lee Isaac Chung signed on to direct the film but he dropped in March 2026. In the middle of this, Bradley Cooper was cast as the male lead and recently it was reported that Cooper wouldn’t just be starring but he’d also be directing the film. There’s a bit of back and forth with who the male lead and the director is. But with these announcements at CinemaCon it sounds like this film is officially happening with a June 2027 release and two of our stars confirmed to star.
In general, this is a project that I’ve been very interested in ever since it was announced. Heist films are always a lot of fun because they tend to have a great cast with twists and turns that make it a very fun and engaging watch. I also find Ocean’s Eleven (2001) to be a fantastic movie, it’s one of my favorites movies of all time. It’s one of the coolest movies of all time with a star studded cast of actors that I absolutely love. None of the sequels have been able to capture the magic of that film, they’re not bad but they’re not great either. Despite the franchise’s track record not being great, I like these actors so the fact they’re doing an Ocean’s Eleven prequel has me excited to check it out and see what it’s going to be. In particular, the fact that Bradley Cooper is directing the film. As of now, he’s directed three films, two of them were nominated for Best Picture. His film from last year, Is This Thing On?, didn’t get a nomination but got really solid reviews. The fact that he’s growing from desperately trying to win an Oscar with Maestro and then going from something more subtle with Is This Thing On? to a franchise film is another reason that gets me excited. He’s gone from prestigious Oscar films to a franchise film. So there’s something in the story pitch that got Cooper excited and wanting him to direct the film.
Now, I’ve seen some people criticize the idea of this film being a prequel. When I sent this announcement to my dad, he brought up that he’d be more excited if it was an original heist film starring Margot Robbie and Bradley Cooper and directed by Cooper. The only thing that’s added to this movie with having the “Oceans” title on it, are ticket sales. You put the Ocean’s Eleven title on this film and immediately sell more tickets. If we know anything about modern day Hollywood it’s that they love sequels, reboots, and remakes over original films. Is it a weird idea to do a prequel to Ocean’s Eleven? Maybe, but I think doing a period piece heist film that takes place in the ‘60s or ‘70s is very different compared to a heist film that takes place in modern times.
Overall, I’m actually fairly excited for this film. When we get the trailer for the film, I’m sure my thoughts will change. As of right now with just knowing the cast and director this is a film that I’m looking forward to and could be a fun summer adventure. And it’ll give me a great excuse to rewatch the entire franchise, including the 2001 film that I absolutely adore.
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