With the phenomenal success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie riding high at the 2023 box office, with what is probably an unbeatable $1.435 billion, studios are salivating at the thought of what the next projects will be for not just Gerwig, but also for stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
Robbie and Gosling had charming comedic chemistry in Barbie, which has proven to be one of 2023’s best movies, and on the press tour that they managed to do before the actors’ strike. They are now viewed as such a successful duo that producers are hoping to line up a whole slate of projects for the pair – starting with an Ocean’s 11 prequel.
The original Oceans trilogy was released between 2001 and 2007, with a spin-off called Ocean’s Eight being released in 2018. The Ocean’s 11 prequel was first announced in May 2022, and was set to star Robbie and be made by her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. Currently, not much is known about it other than it will be set in 1960s Europe and be directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers). The involvement of Gosling was then mooted in August 2022.
GamesRadar spoke to producer Josey McNamara on the red carpet of Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, and he said, “I can’t really say much, but I think we’re just trying to do right by the [Oceans] franchise. I’m excited for people to experience it when it’s ready. They’re [Robbie and Gosling] wonderful together. The more projects, even outside of that, we can have them do would be amazing.”
Barbie is Warner Bros’ highest-grossing movie of all time, so it’s understandable that they want to lock Robbie and Gosling in for the foreseeable future. As well as producing the best Margot Robbie movies, including I, Tonya, and DCU‘s Birds of Prey, Robbie’s production company was also behind Promising Young Woman and now Saltburn – both directed by Emerald Fennell. Fennell had a cameo in Barbie as the pregnant Midge.
Check out our guide to the best Ryan Gosling movies, because he’s more than just Ken, and our guide to the best feel-good movies. We’re also looking forward to The Marvels and Wednesday season 2.