Bradley Cooper wraps French shoot of ‘Ocean’s’ prequel as riots sweep France

By Helena Thorncroft

WASHINGTON — Bradley Cooper, Georgetown College class of 1997, is finishing the French leg of the most closely watched film of his directing career while France contends with one of its most violent waves of rioting in decades, Variety reported this week.

Warner Bros.’ untitled “Ocean’s” prequel, which Cooper is directing and starring in opposite Margot Robbie, George MacKay and Monica Barbaro, was wrapping its French shoot in Monaco as of Oct. 23, according to Variety. The production began filming in Paris in late July before moving south, and is due to film a few additional days at a water tank in Belgium.

Cooper took the helm under unusual circumstances. After director Lee Isaac Chung left during pre-production, Warner Bros. asked Cooper not only to star opposite Robbie but also to write and direct the film, Deadline reported on Oct. 1.

A Riviera shoot, a country in turmoil

The riots began with nationwide demonstrations on Oct. 17 over the cost of living and conditions in public schools; within three days authorities had recorded 2,397 arrests, and at least 3,000 businesses had been damaged, Variety reported. Shops in Nice, where the “Ocean’s” crew was staying, were looted over a weekend.

“My entire crew is staying in Nice, so there was a bit of panic, especially because it’s a big American movie,” Isabelle Desgorges, a Gaumont executive whose team is handling production services on the prequel, told Variety. “But fortunately, we weren’t filming on Saturday or Sunday, and our crew wasn’t directly caught up in the violence; they saw it from a distance.”

Monaco has supplied much of the film’s period look. Cooper and Robbie were seen filming in Monte Carlo’s Casino Square on Oct. 13, and the production has also shot around Port Hercule and the Formula 1 circuit with vintage racing cars and hundreds of extras, News.mc reported, citing Monaco-Matin. The site said the story is reportedly set in the 1960s and follows the parents of Danny Ocean, the character George Clooney played. The principality’s tourism office announced filming in Monaco-Ville on Oct. 16-17 and Oct. 22-23, warning of adjusted pedestrian access and some night noise, without naming the production.

Next up: G.I. Joe

Cooper’s schedule does not ease after the wrap. Deadline reported that he is set to star as Duke, the team leader, in Paramount’s new “G.I. Joe” film, which Danny McBride is directing and co-writing with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri. The film is described as a reimagining of the Hasbro franchise, no longer linked to a planned Transformers crossover. Deadline called Cooper a 12-time Oscar nominee and noted the critical reception this year of “Is This Thing On?,” which he directed, co-wrote and starred in opposite Will Arnett.

The Hilltop years

Georgetown has long claimed Cooper as one of its own. An English major and French minor, he performed with the university’s Nomadic Theatre and its gospel choir, Georgetown said when he returned to campus in 2018 to screen “A Star Is Born.” He told students then that he had been turned down by Georgetown out of high school and was admitted only after transferring from Villanova.

“Everyone told me not to make this movie,” Cooper said of “A Star Is Born” at that event. “I just really didn’t listen to anyone, and I just really kept my head down and stayed focused the same way I did when I wanted to come to this university.”

Variety’s report notes that France had been enjoying a surge in international production before the unrest, with Cannes alone logging 310 filming days by early September.

Warner Bros. has not announced a title for the prequel.

The Inquisitor is seeking comment from Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Cooper’s representatives at Range Media Partners. This story will be updated with any response.

Photo: Bradley Cooper at a “Maestro” Q&A at the BFI IMAX, London, December 2023 (cropped). Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.