The Ocean’s Eleven prequel currently in development has lost its director, with filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung departing over “creative differences”.
The film, set before the 2001 remake starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, is set to star Bradley Cooper and Margot Robbie, who is also producing through her production company LuckyChap. Chung, who directed the award-winning drama Minari as well as blockbuster Twisters, exited due to what Warner Bros described as “creative differences”.
In a joint statement with LuckyChap, shared by The Hollywood Reporter, the studio said: “Lee Isaac is a singular filmmaking talent whose vision and partnership have been invaluable to Warner Bros. and LuckyChap throughout this journey. Our experience with him has only deepened our enthusiasm to collaborate on future projects together.”
Ocean’s Eleven was originally a 1960 heist film starring Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack. It was remade by Steven Soderbergh with Clooney and Pitt in 2001, with its success leading to sequels in 2004 and 2007. An all-female spin-off, Ocean’s 8, was released in 2018, starring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.
Recently, it was revealed Clooney and Pitt would be returning for another Ocean’s sequel. Last October, Clooney revealed the film could shoot in 2026 with the original ensemble cast, which includes Matt Damon and Julia Roberts. “Yeah, we just got it,” he told E! “We just got the budget approved at Warner Brothers, and we’re trying to set up. It’s just scheduling, so it’s just setting a start date for us, probably starting about nine or ten months.”
The actor also recently revealed the time he encountered original Ocean’s star Sinatra, early in his career when working as a driver for his aunt, singer Rosemary Clooney. Recalling a disagreement they had over a boycott the actor was leading, he said: “He was great, I got yelled at by Frank Sinatra!”