Ocean’s 11 prequel producer Josey McNamara promises to “do right by the franchise.” The 2001 film, which followed an elaborate casino heist and featured a star-studded cast, was followed by two sequels, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen, and an all-female spinoff, Ocean’s 8. In May 2022, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were cast to lead an Ocean’s Eleven prequel movie and now, after the beloved Barbie movie became a billion-dollar success, their reunion is even more anticipated. However, the project has been progressing slowly due to WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
During a recent interview at the BFI London Film Festival, GamesRadar+ caught up with McNamara to talk about the long-gestating Ocean’s 11 prequel movie. Though he couldn’t reveal much, the producer promised the prequel will “do right by the franchise.” He also praised Robbie and Gosling’s chemistry together and teased that there could be even more collaborations between the two. Read his full comments below:
I can’t really say much, but I think we’re just trying to do right by the franchise. I’m excited for people to experience it when it’s ready… [Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling] are wonderful together. The more projects even outside of that we can have them do would be amazing.
Everything We Know About The Ocean’s 11 Prequel
The Ocean’s Eleven prequel will be directed by Jay Roach, who revealed some interesting details about the project in an interview earlier this year. The movie is set in Monte Carlo in 1962, seemingly at the Monte Carlo Casino which should be the target of the heist. Though Roach promised the Ocean’s Eleven prequel will continue the franchise identity of heist movies, the director also said “it’s very much a love story.”
On the Ocean’s Eleven prequel, Robbie will also be reuniting with Roach, who previously directed her in Bombshell, which earned the actress her second Oscar nomination after I, Tonya. Like his producer, the director is also excited to see Robbie and Gosling reunite after Barbie, calling them a “powerful, powerful duo.” The Ocean’s Eleven prequel is produced by LuckyChap Entertainment, the same production company behind Barbie which Robbie started with her husband Tom Ackerley to focus on female-led stories.
The director’s description of the Ocean’s Eleven prequel as “a love story” caused some unease among fans. Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy and the all-female reboot are heist movies in the classic sense, and don’t feature much romance at all. In turn, a love story would be a serious departure for the franchise, but perhaps it makes sense to play up this element considering Robbie and Gosling’s sizzling chemistry. Despite this departure, the producer is promising to do right by the franchise, though only time will tell how the Ocean’s Eleven prequel turns out.
