Ocean's Eleven prequel stacks the deck with A-listers to outdo the original

We all know the Ocean's Eleven films are less 'gritty casino caper' and more 'beautiful people having a lovely time robbing things'. The original Rat Pack gang, Clooney and Pitt's Vegas lot—every version has pretty much run on charisma and star power. Now, Warner Bros. are diving back in with a prequel and, hardly surprising, they're keeping up the casting standards. In fact, things are getting a bit interesting with the latest name on the list.

Meet the new crew (and they really do like their famous faces)

This new one isn't just another round of the same faces swapping banter as they stroll past slot machines. Turns out, the plot dials the clock back to 1962, parking itself right in the middle of the Monaco Grand Prix. Instead of Danny Ocean pulling the strings, the focus is on his parents—two criminal masterminds apparently responsible for teaching him everything he knows. Margot Robbie (yes, that Margot Robbie) dropped the details herself at CinemaCon, describing it as going 'to the roots' of the franchise's most iconic con artist. Probably a smart move if you want to keep fans interested, rather than rolling out the same old 'one last job'.

This means the film is giving both Robbie and co-lead Bradley Cooper a bit of a playground—swapping the neon-lit casinos for classic cars and vintage Europe. Not exactly a hard sell, is it?

Josh Gad joins (because why not make it even more starry?)

And now, as reported by Variety, Josh Gad has signed on for a substantial part. Nothing concrete on who he’s actually playing, but sources describe it as a significant role. If you think he’s just that guy from Frozen who talks to snowmen, you’re selling him a bit short. Sure, he’s the voice of Olaf—i.e. millions of parents will never escape him—but Gad’s also got a Tony nomination for The Book of Mormon, and he keeps popping up in big comedies and film franchises (Angry Birds, the new Spaceballs, more Disney projects than you can shake an Oscar at).

The fact is, Gad's calendar is basically a who's who of mainstream pop culture. He’s arguably more bankable (in terms of sheer butts-on-seats audience reach) than a lot of low-key movie stars. So, a bit of a curveball for this particularly glossy ensemble, but probably a clever one.

The rest of the cast is filling up fast

• Margot Robbie - lead and producer (alongside Tom Ackerley, her partner, via their LuckyChap label)
• Bradley Cooper - co-lead, and also writing, directing, producing, starring; seems he's taken the reins from original director Lee Isaac Chung (who stays on as executive producer)
• Monica Barbaro – signed on just a day before Gad, fresh off playing Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown
• Wagner Moura – best known for Secret Agent, tapped to play the villain

Cooper’s pulling creative duty for just about everything—writing, directing, producing, and starring—after taking over the director's chair from Lee Isaac Chung (who’s still on the project behind the scenes). So, if you get a whiff of A Star Is Born levels of auteur power play, that’s probably why.

On the business side, Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap gang are bringing their producing clout, her husband Tom Ackerley included. No shortage of names with leverage, in other words.

Some franchise context: Ocean's keeps raking it in

The Soderbergh trilogy plus Ocean's Eight together have cleared over $1.4 billion globally, which explains why everyone’s so keen to add more. This untitled prequel becomes film number six in the wider 'Ocean’s' universe, with yet another sequel (featuring Clooney's classic crew) rumoured to be aiming for production later on.

So that’s where things stand. We’ve got period heists, classic motorsport, parents of legendary thieves, a Broadway-Disney hybrid joining one of the shiniest ensembles you’ll see in a film that’s still not given much away plot-wise. Expect even more familiar faces to turn up before production gets fully underway.