Margot Robbie, Jay Roach Team for ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ Prequel – The Hollywood Reporter

Warner Bros. is betting on more Ocean’s Eleven movies, this time sliding studio favorite Margot Robbie into the deck.

Robbie will star and produce a new Ocean’s movie that will be helmed by Jay Roach, who directed the actress to a best supporting actress Oscar nomination with 2019’s drama, Bombshell.

Robbie is producing with Tom Ackerley, her partner at production banner LuckyChap. Roach is also producing, along with his executive at shingle Everyman Pictures, Michelle Graham.

Details on the script by Carrie Solomon are being kept in the vault but it is known to be an original Ocean’s Eleven that is set in Europe in the 1960s.

Executive producing are Gary Ross, Olivia Milch and Lucky Chap’s Josey McNamara. Village Roadshow is also involved in an exec producer capacity and may also co-finance.

The project is in active development and is not greenlit, insiders say, but the goal is to begin production spring 2023.

Warners’ Ocean’s franchise was launched in 2001 when Steven Soderbergh directed a fast-talking, stylish A-list heist comedy featuring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and others. What began as a riff and loose remake of the 1960 Rat Pack movie turned into an unexpected franchise. After the first movie made over $450 million worldwide theatrically, Soderbergh and company churned out two more star-packed installments, in 2004 and 2007, respectively. The franchise returned in 2018 with Ocean’s 8, a female-centric spin-off led by Sandra Bullock.

The Ocean’s title has evolved into a recognizable brand at this stage, one that signifies frothy ensemble heist comedies and the new project will allow the studio to stack the deck with big names and colorful locales.

Roach is known for directing the spiffy joke fest that are the Austin Powers movies as well as the Meet the Parents series of comedies. He recently shot all eight episodes of the first season of Apple TV’s upcoming comedy High Desert, which stars Patricia Arquette and Matt Dillon.

Robbie knows a thing or two about heists, having stolen scenes — if not sometimes the whole show — as fan-favorite character Harley Quinn in three films for Warners, most recently in 2021’s The Suicide Squad. She is currently shooting Barbie for the studio, portraying the iconic toy in a feature she is also producing.

Robbie is repped by CAA, Management 360, Aran Michael Management and Jackoway Austen. Roach is repped by WME, Mosaic and Behr Abramson.