Margot Robbie teases glamorous Monaco Grand Prix setting for ‘Ocean’s 11’ prequel story

Bradley Cooper set to direct and star opposite Margot Robbie as the criminal masterminds who shaped Danny Ocean

Margot Robbie has revealed new details about the upcoming Ocean’s 11 prequel, confirming that the film will centre on the parents of the franchise’s famous master thief Danny Ocean and their elaborate heist at the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix.

The announcement came during Warner Bros’ presentation at CINEMACON, where Robbie offered audiences a first hint about the storyline while previewing the studio’s future film slate. Rather than focusing on Danny Ocean himself, the new film will travel back decades before the events of Ocean’s Eleven, exploring the origins of the criminal ingenuity that eventually shaped the character.

“Before Danny Ocean ever stepped foot in Vegas, two masterminds taught him everything he knows — his parents,” Robbie said during the presentation. She explained that the story will follow the pair in their prime as they attempt a daring theft during the glamorous and chaotic Monaco Grand Prix in 1962, one of the most prestigious events on the Formula One calendar.

The prequel will star Robbie alongside Bradley Cooper, who is also directing the film. Cooper stepped into the director’s chair after earlier filmmakers attached to the project departed during development. The screenplay is being written by Carrie Solomon, while Robbie will produce through her company LuckyChap.

Although Danny Ocean himself does not appear in the story, the character remains central to the wider franchise mythology. In Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven released in 2001, Danny Ocean was portrayed by George Clooney as the smooth talking leader of a group of professional thieves who orchestrate a complex casino robbery in Las Vegas. The film was followed by two sequels and later expanded with the spin off film Ocean’s 8.

The new prequel aims to show where Danny’s criminal instincts originated by introducing the generation that came before him. Setting the story during the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix allows filmmakers to combine the glamour of high society with the tension of a high stakes robbery, placing the characters in one of the most iconic sporting environments in the world.

The Monaco race has long been associated with wealth, celebrity and international intrigue, making it an ideal backdrop for a heist narrative. The combination of luxury yachts, racing prestige and crowds of elite guests offers the sort of environment where elaborate criminal plans can unfold unnoticed.

Separate from this prequel, another Ocean’s project is also in development that will reunite stars from the original trilogy, including Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Don Cheadle as their characters return for a new adventure later in life.

Production on the Robbie and Cooper led prequel is expected to begin later this year, with Warner Bros aiming for a theatrical release in 2027. The film joins a slate of major upcoming projects from the studio as it continues expanding some of its most recognisable franchises.