Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling will share the screen once again in the upcoming “Ocean’s Eleven” prequel, which will be produced by Robbie’s banner LuckyChap, with her husband Tom Ackerley. However, the pair has debunked one of the ongoing rumors about the project in a recent interview with Variety: that Gosling and Robbie would play Danny Ocean’s parents.
Talking with Variety about the success of LuckyChap, which is not only behind “Barbie” but also behind Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” Robbie and Ackerley were asked about the upcoming Ocean’s Eleven prequel, which will be directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents).
After interviewer Angelique Jackson said that George Clooney, who played Danny Ocean in the original films, mentioned “it made sense” that Gosling and Robbie would play his character’s parents, Ackerley and Robbie were quick to say that is a rumor that they haven’t confirmed or denied.
The Ocean’s Eleven prequel’s script hasn’t been finished
After hearing Clooney’s praise, Robbie said that she was “chuffed to hear that. That is extremely high praise. Wow, how exciting!” However, Ackerley cleared up that “[it] wasn’t a plot point that we’ve confirmed or denied. We’re still working on the script.” The screenplay is being written by Carrie Solomon, who recently worked on Netflix’s upcoming ro-com “A Family Affair.”
Robbie added: “So I don’t know who his parents will ultimately be or not be…,” with Ackerley saying that they don’t know “if their parents are even in the movie.” So, while fans were excited to picture Robbie and Gosling as Ocean’s parents, there’s no real indication that the story will go there (at least, for now).
However, according to journalist Lindsey Bahr, director Jay Roach has confirmed that the prequel will be set in Monte Carlo in 1962. He said that Robbie described it as an “old-fashioned epic love story slash adventure disguised as a heist movie.” If that wasn’t enough to catch your attention, he and Robbie have also said it has been inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch A Thief” and “Notorious.”
Roach praises Robbie and Gosling’s chemistry
Of course, having Robbie and Gosling working together right after the massive success of “Barbie” is a double-edged sword. While they are electric together, audiences might still be attached to their Barbie and Ken characters. And that’s something that Roach considered.
According to Bahr, Roach said “there were some questions” about having the pair star together again after “Barbie,” but he thinks “there’s just some pairings you want to see over and over again. It’s such a powerful, powerful duo, you know? And it’s the suspense of will they come together; will they trust each other enough to team up? That’s romantic.”
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie during the CinemaCon 2023 (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Per Collider, filming is set to start in March. While Robbie currently hasn’t other acting projects lined up, Gosling stars in the upcoming action rom-com “The Fall Guy,” alongside Emily Blunt, which will be out on May 3.
