Warner Bros. is rolling the dice on Ocean’s Eleven once more and this time has brought on board Margot Robbie. Originally a 1960 film titled Ocean’s 11 starring Rat Pack members like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, the franchise got a remake in 2001 in the form of Ocean’s Eleven from director Steven Soderberg. Ocean’s Eleven starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, and many more and became a box office hit grossing $450 million worldwide.
Warner Bros. made two sequels, 2004’s Ocean’s Twelve and 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen. After an eleven-year hiatus, Warner Bros. brought the franchise back with an all female-led spin-off film titled Ocean’s 8 starring Sandra Bullock as the sister to George Clooney’s Danny Ocean and also featured Cate Blanchette, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kailing, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkafina, Rihanna, and Sarah Paulson. Ocean’s 8 was a box office hit and outgrossed both Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen at the domestic box office. Despite the film’s success, no word was ever given about a potential sequel.
According to THR, Warner Bros. is now developing a new Ocean’s Eleven film but not a sequel to Ocean’s 8. Robbie is set to star and produce a new movie in the Ocean’s Eleven franchise with Austin Powers franchise director Jay Roach at the helm. Robbie previously worked with Roach on the 2019 film Bombshell. The screenplay is being written by Carrie Solomon and while plot details remain under wraps, reports say the film is a period piece set in Europe in the 1960s and that production is eyeing a spring 2023 start.
The 1960s setting suggests the film is a prequel to the George Clooney-led film series, although the initial report is unclear if there is any connection between the two series or if this is intended as a full-fledged reboot. The 60s setting also ties back to the roots of the franchise as the original film was released in 1960, possibly suggesting some connections to that installment. It also does not rule out the possibility of Ocean’s 9, as Sandra Bullock has said the cast remains interested in returning.
Robbie landing the lead role in the upcoming Ocean’s Eleven project is just one of many high-profile Warner Bros. projects she has become a part of. Not only does she play the role of Harley Quinn in the DCEU, but she is also set to star as Barbie in the studio’s upcoming film based on the popular toy set for release on July 21, 2023. This is also the second major franchise Robbie is set to take over, as Disney is developing a new Pirates of the Caribbean film with Robbie in the lead role and replacing franchise star Johnny Depp. Where this new Ocean’s Eleven film will fit into Robbie’s busy schedule remains to be seen but her star only appears to be rising.
