Margot Robbie, Jay Roach To Join Forces For An ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ Prequel

Margot Robbie‘s busy shooting Greta Gerwig‘s “Barbie” with Ryan Gosling at the moment, but she already has her next project after that lined up. And she’s teaming up with Jay Roach, who directed her in 2019’s “Bombshell,” for her next assignment: a prequel to the “Ocean’s Eleven” series.

READ MORE: First Look: Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ Movie Coming Out Summer 2023

According to THR, Robbie will star in the 1960s-set prequel to Steven Soderbergh‘s 2001 film, itself a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack classic.  Carrie Solomon pens the script, set in Europe, and while plot details remain scarce, the project looks to start production in spring 2023.  

It’s the first “Oceans” movie since 2018’s female-centric spin-off “Ocean’s Eight,” where Sandra Bullock led the ensemble as the sister to George Clooney’s Danny Ocean. Given the setting of the new project, could we potentially see a return of a younger version of Albert Finney‘s Gaspar LeMarc from “Ocean’s Twelve“? That’s certainly fun speculation.

As she is with “Barbie,” Robbie will co-produce the prequel with Tom Acklery, her partner at Lucky Chap. Roach also co-produces through Everyman Pictures with Michelle Graham. And Village Roadshows, involved in all of the other modern “Ocean’s” movies, is on board as executive producer and may also co-finance.

There’s no word on who may join Robbie in this film’s ensemble, but Roach as the director is a good match given his familiarity with the ’60s aesthetic in the “Austin Powers” franchise. Roach just finished shooting all eight episodes of AppleTV‘s upcoming show “High Desert,” starring Patricia Arquette and Matt Dillon.

The “Oceans” movies have a particular style to them: fast talk, complicated heists, pattering soundtracks, and nimble, elegant flourishes. Soderbergh’s always done it best, but how will Robbie and Roach’s prequel measure up to his trilogy? We’ll likely have to wait until late next year or early 2024 to find out.