George Clooney on Ryan Gosling Playing His Dad in ‘Ocean’s’ Prequel: ‘It Makes Sense’

George Clooney gave Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling his stamp of approval to play his parents in the upcoming “Ocean’s 11” prequel.

Besides the involvement of the “Barbie” stars, not much is known about the upcoming “Ocean’s” film. However, rumors have been swirling that Robbie and Gosling will portray Danny Ocean’s parents.

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“Margot Robbie’s my mother? I’ve always thought that. And Ryan Gosling is my father, and when you think about it, it makes sense. Truly,” Clooney told Variety at “The Boys in the Boat” premiere.

Jay Roach is set to direct the prequel, with Carrie Solomon writing. While Clooney’s early 2000s trilogy took place in Las Vegas, as well the original 1960 film starring the Rat Pack, the new prequel is expected to take place in 1960s Europe. “Ocean’s 8,” the latest film in the franchise, came out in 2018, starring Sandra Bullock as Danny Ocean’s sister. The prequel will be backed by LuckyChap, which Robbie co-founded with Josey McNamara, Tom Ackerley and Sophia Kerr. The company has produced films including “Barbie,” “Saltburn” and “Promising Young Woman.”

Based on Daniel James Brown’s 2013 book, “The Boys in the Boat,” directed by Clooney, tells the true story of the University of Washington team and their journey leading up to competing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The teamwork required of the sport inspired Clooney to make film: “It takes nine guys all operating that exact perfect way, which I like. I like the idea that we have to be together.”

Most of the actors, as well as Clooney, did not have experience rowing prior to the film. They trained for about months prior to filming. “They said it was gonna be hard. It was a lot harder. They lied to us,” Callum Turner, who stars in the film as Joe Rantz, told Variety.

“The rowing felt like the first job, and then the movie was like the side hustle,” he added.

But learning to row was just the first challenge, as capturing those racing scenes on camera presented new obstacles. “It was hell,” Clooney said of shooting the racing scenes. “It wasn’t just nine of them. It was eight other boats, so it was a lot. But they all did a great job, and they were really fantastic.”

“The Boys in the Boat” is in theaters on Dec. 17.

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