Update: August 10, 2016
Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and Awkwafina Join the OCEAN'S EIGHT Cast
Warner Bros is moving forward with its all-female spinoff of
Oceans Eleven, this time dubbed
Oceans Ocho, and has filled seven of the eight titular spots,
The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett -- both of whom have been long rumored to star in the movie -- will head up the cast of the Gary Ross-helmed heist film that is scheduled to begin production in October in New York.
Like the
Oceans Eleven films, the rest of the ensemble is stacked with major stars including Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter. Mindy Kaling also is joining the cast, with music stars Rihanna (
Battleship) and Awkwafina (
Neighbors 2) rounding out the group.
Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh, who is based in New York and is expected to be deeply involved with the spinoff -- perhaps taking on a below-the-line job like he has done on other studio films like
Magic Mike XXL -- is producing solo (
Oceans Eleven producer Jerry Weintraub passed away last year). Olivia Milch and Ross wrote the screenplay. The plan is for Soderbergh to finish shooting his own heist film
Logan Lucky in Atlanta before seguing to the
Oceans spinoff.
The prospect of launching an all-female spinoff of a beloved franchise is risky move given that a similar all-female spinoff of Sony's
Ghostbusters failed to ignite at the box office in a way that justified the film's $150 million budget. That film will lead to a $70 million write-down for Sony. However, Warner Bros. plans to keep its budget much smaller considering that it wouldn't call for the level of special effects that
Ghostbusters required.
Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and Awkwafina Join Gary Ross' All-Female Ocean's Eleven Spinoff
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Update: June 3, 2016
Gary Ross Reveals OCEAN'S ELEVEN Spinoff Title is OCEAN'S EIGHT
The rumored title for the
Ocean’s Eleven spinoff was
Ocean’s Ocho, but director Gary Ross confirmed to
SlashFilm that the title is
Ocean’s Eight.
Ocean’s Ocho was simply a nickname they had for the project, which
The Hunger Games and
Seabiscuit director has spent much of his career building towards making. You may recall Soderbergh did some
second unit work on
The Hunger Games, but that wasn’t the first collaboration between the two filmmakers.
When we asked Ross how similar the tone and style of
Ocean’s Eight is compared to Soderbergh’s trilogy, the director discussed their history together and a bit of what to expect from his film:
"I think it’s a pretty similar tone. You know, Steven Soderbergh and I are incredibly close friends, and we would not have done this if we weren’t. I don’t think he would’ve wanted anyone to do it if we weren’t. This is very much an extension and a continuation. He’s a producer on the movie."
"In one way or another, this has been a 20-year conversation between Steven and I, collaborating in ways the whole world doesn’t know about: I helped him on the previous
Ocean’s Eleven films; he shot second unit on
The Hunger Games; I’ve done ADR lines for him; and he reads all my scripts. It’s a very long, ongoing collaboration."
"We discuss the cinema a lot, the shooting style, the rhythm, the editing style, and the music. We discuss it all. I’m in no way trying to reinvent the tone, and I’m thrilled and honored to be extending it. It’s really fun to work with.
Director Gary Ross Discusses How ‘Ocean’s Eight’ is a Continuation of the ‘Ocean’s 11’ Trilogy
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Update: June 9, 2016
Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter Join All-Female OCEAN'S ELEVEN
Not only has
Showbiz 411 confirmed last week’s news that Cate Blanchett will join fellow Oscar winner Sandra Bullock in Warner Bros.‘ all-new, all-female
Ocean’s Eleven reboot, they have also added two new names to the roster as Mindy Kaling (
The Mindy Project) and Helena Bonham Carter (
Alice Through the Looking Glass) join the heist film. Gary Ross will direct and produce.
This new film will be a continuation of the George Clooney-led films, with Bullock playing Danny Ocean’s ex-con sister. With help from her right-hand woman (Blanchett, playing the equivalent of Brad Pitt’s Rusty), she’ll form a team of thieves to steal a necklace from the Met Ball in order to frame a villainous gallery owner. Shooting is expected to begin this fall.
Showbiz 411 also confirms recent word that Jennifer Lawrence will not be able to fit the film into her schedule. A cameo by Clooney has been nixed for the time being, although he could potentially appear in sequels. The reboot’s unofficial working title is “
Ocean’s Ocho,” indicating there are eight thief protagonists instead of the traditional eleven.
Mindy Kaling and Helena Bonham Carter Join All-Female 'Ocean's Eleven' Reboot; Cate Blanchett Confirmed
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Update: June 3, 2016
Cate Blanchett in Talks to Join Gary Ross' All-Female OCEAN'S ELEVEN
Sources close to the project tell The Playlist that Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett is currently in talks to join Gary Ross' all-female
Ocean's Eleven reboot that is currently affectionately known as “
Ocean’s Ocho” by the key creatives, which of course means eight principal thieves pulling off a heist, not eleven.
Should the deal close, Blanchett would be playing the Brad Pitt role next to Bullock’s Clooney character at least as far as the outline goes. But neither actress is playing a female version of those characters. Instead, the roles are loosely modeled after the friendship/partnership dynamic established in the Soderbergh films.
Expected to be a star-studded affair, the film is aiming to shoot this late fall/early winter, but that may put the brakes on the rumored involvement of Jennifer Lawrence. Apparently, she may have a scheduling conflict. While Lawrence has a relationship with Ross (he directed her in
The Hunger Games, and the pair had been developing a two-part adaptation of John Steinbeck‘s
East Of Eden and an adaptation of Hannah Kent‘s bestselling
Burial Rites), The Playlist hears her involvement may not pan out due to scheduling conflicts.
While there was some early talk that George Clooney’s Danny Ocean character could cameo in the film, that idea has been nixed for now. However, they have loose plans for sequels should the movie take off, and it’s possible the character could appear down the road.
Exclusive: Oscar-Winning Actress Cate Blanchett Is Circling The All-Female ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ Film
