Margot Robbie’s ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ prequel hits another setback

Margot Robbie’s upcoming prequel to Ocean’s Eleven has hit another setback as director Lee Isaac Chung exited the project due to creative differences.

According to reports confirmed by Entertainment Weekly, Chung has stepped away from the Warner Bros. film, becoming the second director to depart the project. He had previously taken over from Jay Roach, who was originally attached to direct when the film was announced in 2022.

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. said the split was amicable, citing “creative differences” as the reason for Chung’s departure. In a joint statement with Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment, the studio praised the filmmaker’s work during development.

“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,” they said in a statement.

The planned film is a prequel to the heist franchise that began with Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. That film itself was a remake of the 1960 classic led by members of the Rat Pack including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

The prequel project has undergone several changes since its announcement. At one stage, Ryan Gosling was reportedly in talks to star alongside Robbie following their success in the blockbuster Barbie. Later reports also suggested Bradley Cooper as a potential co-star.