Warner Bros. is gearing up for another high-stakes job — and they’ve found the man to pull it off.Lee Isaac Chung, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behindMinariand the recentbox office hitTwisters, is in talks to direct the upcomingOcean’s 11prequel, according to a report by Deadline. Produced by LuckyChap and based on a script byCarrie Solomon, the new film is still in early development, and — in trueOcean’sfashion — plot details are being kept tightly under wraps. No cast deals are in place, and the studio is staying silent on whetherthe project will tie directly to theGeorge Clooney-led trilogyor the all-female spin-off led bySandra Bullock. What we do know: this marks a stylish shift in direction for the franchise, with Chung bringing his signature visual poetry and character-driven storytelling to a brand synonymous with charm, slick pacing, and big ensemble energy.
Chung first broke out withMinari, the semi-autobiographical A24 drama that earnedsix Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay for Chung himself. The film, which won theGrand Jury and Audience Awards at Sundance, was hailed by critics and audiences alike, earningYoun Yuh-junga historic Oscar win and a place on the AFI and NBR’s top 10 films of the year.
How Big Is ‘Ocean’s’?
Last year, Chung proved he could handle large-scale spectacle withTwisters, the sequel to the 1996 disaster hit. The film opened to $81.2 million domestically and has since grossed over $370 million worldwide. That success helped land him one of the most stylish franchises in the Warner Bros. vault — one that blends global glamor, criminal elegance, and generational nostalgia. TheOcean’sfranchise has raked inover $1.4 billionglobally since itsreintroduction bySteven Soderberghin 2001. That trilogy — headlined byGeorge Clooney,Brad Pitt,Matt Damon, andJulia Roberts— revitalized the 1960 original, which starredFrank Sinatra,Dean Martin, and the rest of the Rat Pack. In 2018,Ocean’s 8brought the same cool energy to a new ensemble led bySandra Bullock,Cate Blanchett, andAnne Hathaway.
Chung now joins alineage of directorswho have used theOcean’scanvas to reimagine criminal enterprise with flair. And while we don’t yet know where or when the prequel will take place, it seems fair to expect something polished, propulsive, and layered with fresh perspective. Stay tuned for more details on Ocean’s… whatever this one is!
Ocean’s Eleven
