Lee Isaac Chung has stepped down as director of Warner Bros. and LuckyChap Entertainment’s upcoming ‘Ocean’s’ prequel, ending his involvement in the project after developing it alongside star and producer Margot Robbie. The filmmaker, best known for the Oscar-nominated drama ‘Minari’, left the film over creative differences. The studio confirmed the split while noting that both sides parted on friendly terms as the project moves forward with a search for a new director.
Lee Isaac Chung exits ‘Ocean’s’ prequel project
According to Deadline, Chung has departed the planned prequel to the ‘Ocean’s’ franchise after working on the film in development with Margot Robbie. Warner Bros. confirmed the change in a statement. A Warner Bros. spokesperson said, “This is an amicable split due to creative differences.”The studio and Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap, also shared a joint statement praising Chung’s contribution to the project.“Lee Isaac is a singular filmmaking talent whose vision and partnership have been invaluable to Warner Bros. and LuckyChap throughout this journey. Our experience with him has only deepened our enthusiasm to collaborate on future projects together.”The film remains in development, and the search for a new director is underway. Story details about the prequel have not been revealed. The screenplay was written by Carrie Solomon and is based on characters created by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell.
‘Ocean’s’ franchise legacy and Lee Isaac Chung’s career
The ‘Ocean’s’ franchise has a long history in Hollywood. The original Las Vegas heist film debuted in 1960 and featured the Rat Pack, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. Angela Dickinson also appeared in the film. Director Steven Soderbergh revived the property in 2001 with ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. That version starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts. The modern trilogy proved highly successful and was followed by the 2018 spinoff ‘Ocean’s 8’, led by Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, and Cate Blanchett. Together, the four films released in the new millennium earned more than USD 1.4B worldwide.Chung rose to global recognition with ‘Minari’, which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. It later received Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice awards and several Academy Award, BAFTA, SAG, and Spirit Award nominations. Youn Yuh-jung won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. He later directed the reboot ‘Twisters’, which opened with USD 81.2M domestically and finished with USD 267.7M in the United States and USD 372.2M worldwide. His earlier film ‘Munyurangabo’ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, and he also directed episodes of the series ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘Skeleton Crew’.The ‘Ocean’s’ prequel continues development as Warner Bros moves toward its planned acquisition by Paramount, with both studios still able to greenlight projects independently while the regulatory process continues.
