Rumor: Jennifer Lawrence May Join Sandra Bullock In Female-Led 'Ocean's Eleven' Spin-Off
UPDATE: Jennifer Lawrence's representative has since denied this report, but that's something that commonly happens before official announcements are made. There's a chance this could still happen, but as we said, this story was just a rumor to begin with, so continue to take the possibility with a grain of salt.
Last fall we learned that Sandra Bullock had been lined up to star in a reboot of Ocean's Eleven, the heist comedy starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and more. The 2001 film from director Steven Soderbergh was a remake of the 1960 film of the same name starring the famed Rat Pack, so it wasn't exactly sacred ground that would be tread with a reboot. However, this reboot was going to change things up by making the entire team composed of women. Now Sandra Bullock may have a co-star being lined up.
The Hunger Games franchise star Jennifer Lawrence is rumored to be in the running for a role in the female Ocean's Eleven cast. Even though Jennifer Lawrence is quite the in-demand actress and is probably eyed for tons of lead roles in Hollywood, this one actually makes sense due to who's behind the camera.The Tracking Board reported the rumor first, and while they're not always the most accurate source with their scoops, this one feels like it could work because Gary Ross is directing the movie. Ross directed the first film in The Hunger Games franchise and he's supposed to reteam with Lawrence for two more projects, East of Eden and Burial Ground, so the two of them obviously have a good working relationship.
Beyond that, an actress like Lawrence would probably find the prospect of teaming up with 10 other talented women to be rather enticing, especially if one of them is Sandra Bullock. Lawrence was actually on my list of actresses who should star in the film, though I had her stepping in for Matt Damon. However, Lawrence is up for the Rusty Ryan role, which would make her Bullock's right-hand woman.
Of course, this is just a rumor for now. Even if Lawrence is on the shortlist of talent that producers want to bring on board the movie, there's no guarantee that she'd end up entering talks to star in the movie. If this movie turns out to be a success, Warner Bros. would probably want her back for sequels, so it could be a bigger commitment than just one movie. That may not be all that enticing following The Hunger Games and the continuing X-Men series.
There's also another part to this story that should be taken with a grain of salt. Supposedly the female Ocean's Eleven won't be a standalone reboot, but instead the film will exist in the same world of the Ocean's Eleven trilogy. Bullock's character is said to be an ex-con who is also Danny Ocean's sister. It seems a little convenient to have two skilled thieves in the same family. Plus, why wouldn't Danny have called upon his sister to help with the previous heist plans? Perhaps that will be explained in the movie.
As for what the team is after, this time the heist will revolve around a necklace from the famed Met Ball. However, rather than just stealing it, they also have to frame a crooked gallery owner for the crime. That's an element that wasn't in any of the three previous Ocean's Eleven movies, so it sounds like Queen and Country scribe Olivia Milch is bringing something new to the table so it doesn't feel like a complete retread of the Soderbergh movie. Stay tuned to see how the project develops.