You might think of 2016 as being a successful year for blockbuster movies, but – aside from a tiny film called ‘Rogue One‘ – that perhaps was not the precise truth. You’ve probably forgotten about all the unnecessary fury aimed at the all-female reboot of a certain team of supernatural spook chasers. Happily (maybe), it helped to quell the ire of many when the film finally saw daylight and turned out to be not very good.
Creating much less hubbub is another proposed all-female reboot of a previously testosterone-heavy classic. Ocean’s 8 will team up Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and Mindy Kaling in companion piece to the Ocean’s Trilogy series of movies.
Unlike the original Ocean’s Eleven (a 2001 remake of the 1960 Brat-pack vehicle) this ‘let’s hear it for the girls’ version will not be set in a casino (and if that upsets you, you can drown your sorrows by taking a peep at the latest casino news at CasinoUK). Instead, the girlie group will stage the ‘heist of the century’ in New York, at the annual Metropolitan Gala. Bullock and her bosom-buddies will attempt to get their lovingly-manicured hands on oodles of cash, despite the efforts of a shady character played by Damian Lewis.
This project was initially conceived in 2015 by noteworthy director Stephen Soderberg, who directed the 2001 version of Ocean’s Eleven, along with its two sequels Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen. With no plans for an Ocean’s Fourteen (and with the death of regular cast member Bernie Mac in 2008), Soderberg conceived a different route for the next movie and enlisted Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit) to take over directorial duties.
“This is very much an extension and a continuation,” says Ross. “I think it’s a pretty similar tone. Steven and I are incredibly close friends and we would not have done this if we weren’t.”
The only confirmed link between Ocean’s 8 and the original sausage party flick so far is Matt Damon, who will reprise his role as pick-pocket Linus Caldwell. George Clooney – the ‘original’ Danny Ocean – is one of the producers but it’s not clear whether he’ll make an appearance or not, even though his character and Sandra Bullock’s character of Debbie Ocean are supposed to be estranged siblings.
You can expect Ocean’s Eight to appear at your local cineplex sometime this summer.
