The new “Ocean’s 11” prequel may have found its villain. Wagner Moura is being eyed to play the antagonist in Warner Bros.’ long-gestating heist film, which has Bradley Cooper set to direct, write, produce, and star opposite Margot Robbie.
The untitled film has been through a few creative reshuffles over the years, with Jay Roach and Lee Isaac Chung previously attached to direct before Cooper stepped in. Robbie has long been attached to star and produce through LuckyChap, with the project originally developed as a 1960s-set expansion of the “Ocean’s” franchise. Ryan Gosling was once set to star in the role Cooper now inhabits.
Plot specifics are still being kept mostly under wraps, but Robbie confirmed earlier this year that the prequel centers on Danny Ocean’s parents and a heist set against the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix. Cooper and Robbie are expected to play those parents, putting the film several decades before Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 “Ocean’s Eleven,” which starred George Clooney as Danny Ocean.
For Moura, the potential casting would add another major studio title to a recent run that includes Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” the Prime Video series “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent.” He’s also part of Panos Cosmatos’ long-gestating vampire film “Flesh Of The Gods,” co-starring Kristen Stewart, which recently moved forward at A24.
The “Ocean’s” prequel is also arriving as the larger franchise has been stirring again. A separate “Ocean’s 14” has been in development with Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle expected to return, meaning Warner Bros. could soon have both a legacy sequel and a period prequel moving on parallel tracks.
The “Ocean’s 11” prequel is currently set for release on June 25, 2027. (via THR)
