Wagner Moura Tipped To Be The Villain In Bradley Cooper's Ocean's Eleven Prequel

Narcos star, Wagner Moura, is circling Bradley Cooper's Ocean's Eleven Prequel. The 49-year-old Oscar-nominated Brazilian actor is reportedly in negotiations to join the cast, according to THR. Benicio del Toro was originally in talks for the role. Linus Sandgren (La La Land, Saltburn, Babylon ) is the cinematographer.

While character details are being kept under wraps, Wagner is said to be playing the villain of the prequel, following in the footsteps of other antagonists in the series like Andy Garcia, Vincent Cassell and Al Pacino. The actor will join previously announced Margot Robbie, who is also producing with her husband Tom Ackerley, and Bradley Cooper, who has also been tapped to direct and produce. Robbie and Cooper are set to play the parents of George Clooney‘s character Danny Ocean from the original trilogy.

During a virtual appearance at CinemCon a few months back, Robbie shared a plot glimpse, “Before Danny Ocean ever stepped foot in Vegas, two masterminds taught him everything he knows — his parents,” she said. “You’ll see them in their prime, and in our new movie, pulling off an epic heist at the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix.”

Minari director Lee Isaac Chung was once supposed to helm the upcoming Ocean’s Eleven prequel for Warner Bros. and LuckyChap Entertainment, but he dropped out earlier this year. A Warner Bros. spokesperson said, “This is an amicable split due to creative differences.” Production on the prequel is expected to kick off in late July in Paris before heading to the south of France. The screenplay was written by Cooper based on characters created by George Clayton Johnson & Jack Golden Russell. Previous drafts were written by Carrie Solomon.

Moura will next be seen in the new Netflix sci-fi thriller, The Last House, alongside Greta Lee. Earlier this year, Moura made history as the first Brazilian to be nominated for the best actor Oscar and the first to win the Golden Globe award for best actor in a drama, both prizes in recognition of his starring role in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent. Moura also won the best actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the New York Critics Circle.

The untitled Ocean's Eleven prequel is currently set to release on June 25, 2027.