For those of you too young, or too pop-culturally-blind, to remember, Ocean’s Eleven was a blockbuster heist movie from 2001 about a group of variously-skilled criminals pulling off one big score. It’s actually a remake of a 1960s film of the same time, but it’s popularity was so massive that it got two sequels. Now, in 2018, we’re getting a version with all female crew to pull off another robbery in Ocean’s 8.
Believe it or not, this neither a remake nor a reboot, but a spin-off to the main franchise. The main character is Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny Ocean of the original trilogy, played by Sandra Bullock. Matt Damon and Carl Reiner will even reprise their roles as Linus Caldwell and Saul Bloom. The rest of the heist crew is all new: Rihanna as a tech-wiz named Nine Ball; Cate Blanchett as Debbie’s partner-in-crime Lou; Mindy Kaling as the jeweler Amita; Helena Bonham Carter as fashion designer Rose; Awkwafina as the pick-pocket Constance; and Sarah Paulson as the uptight mom Tammy. We also have Damian Lewis, Richard Armitage, and James Corden in the cast.
However, there is a wrinkle in the premise versus the title. Anne Hathaway plays the target, Daphne Kluger, whose incredibly expensive necklace is the prize at the end. However, when then is she included as one of the 8? Does this mean that she is in on the heist? Does she turn at some point in the film? Or this is Debbie “running a job on a job”? We’ll just have to see to find out.
The film is directed and co-written by Gary Ross, best known for Big, Hunger Games, and Pleasantville. Considering how his last project, Free State of Jones, failed to make back its budget domestically on top of leaving critics cold, one can only hope this project will have a stronger construction.
Ocean’s 8 debuts in theaters on June 8, 2018.
