Two-time Oscar nominated filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung has departed the upcoming Ocean’s Eleven prequel, Deadline is reporting. The action comedy remains in active development at Warner Bros. Pictures and LuckyChap Entertainment.
Chung had been working on the project as the director alongside its star and producer Margot Robbie. But the parties have now gone their separate ways.
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. described the split as amicable, emphasizing that the decision came down to creative differences. Despite his departure, both Warner Bros. and LuckyChap expressed strong admiration for the filmmaker and suggested that future collaborations remain possible.
“Lee Isaac is a singular filmmaking talent whose vision and partnership have been invaluable to Warner Bros. and LuckyChap throughout this journey,” the companies said in a joint statement. “Our experience with him has only deepened our enthusiasm to collaborate on future projects together.”
The untitled prequel will now move forward with a search for a new director. Plot details are being closely guarded, though the screenplay was written by Carrie Solomon. The origin story is based on characters originally created by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell.
The project represents the latest effort to expand the long-running Ocean’s franchise, a property that has evolved across multiple eras of Hollywood filmmaking. The original film, Ocean’s 11, debuted in 1960 and became synonymous with the legendary Rat Pack. The group’s core members — Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop — starred in the Las Vegas-set heist movie alongside Angela Dickinson, helping cement the feature’s place in pop culture history.
More than four decades later, director Steven Soderbergh successfully revived the brand with 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven. The reboot stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts. That film launched a trilogy that continued with Ocean’s Twelve in 2004 and Ocean’s Thirteen, in 2007. The series became one of the most recognizable heist franchises of the modern era.
The universe later expanded again with the female-led spinoff Ocean’s 8 in 2018. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett. Combined, the four modern movies have generated more than $1.4 billion at the global box office.
Chung’s involvement had initially generated excitement given his distinctive filmmaking background. The director earned Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Minari, the acclaimed 2020 drama released by A24.
The drama premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. Actress Youn Yuh-jung ultimately won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
Beyond Minari, Chung has navigated both independent filmmaking and large-scale studio projects. He helmed Twisters, a reboot of the disaster-film property produced by Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.
The movie debuted strongly with an $81.2 million opening weekend in North America. It eventually grossed $267.7 million domestically and $372.2 million worldwide.
Earlier in his career, Chung received critical acclaim for the drama Munyurangabo, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007. He has also directed episodes of major streaming series including The Mandalorian and Skeleton Crew.
Despite the director change, the Ocean’s Eleven prequel remains a key priority for Warner Bros. as the studio navigates a period of corporate transition. Paramount Global is currently in the regulatory process of acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery. During this period, both companies retain the ability to greenlight projects independently without approval from the other.
Industry observers expect the merger process to conclude toward the end of the third quarter. Once finalized, Paramount will inherit a portfolio rich with established Warner Bros. franchises, potentially giving the combined company a strong lineup heading into late 2026 and 2027.
For now, the focus remains on finding the right filmmaker to lead the next chapter in the Ocean’s Eleven saga. With Robbie still attached as a producer and possible star, the project continues to hold significant potential as Warner Bros. seeks to keep one of its most stylish franchises alive for a new generation of audiences.
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