In 2001, director Steven Soderbergh brought a remake of a famous "Rat Pack" movie Ocean's Eleven, with a new group of A-list actors including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and much more. The film was an unexpected hit, and prompted two sequels. Now, it is about to have an all-female remake/reboot with Ocean's Eight, and it has quite a stellar cast lined up. Is the film going to be a hit, or will it be a victim of too much fan-hate?
A recent report from CinemaBlend says that Matt Damon, one of stars from the famed remake of Ocean's Eleven, said this about Ocean's Eight: "I can't wait, I think it's going to be awesome. I think it's going to be fantastic. I just wish Jerry Weintraub were here to see it." Jerry Weintraub is the producer of the original Ocean's Eleven films, as well as the two sequels, and he passed away in on July 6, 2015.
So, as far as Ocean's Eight is concerned, is it a remake or a reboot of Ocean's Eleven? It actually is neither, but it will be a comedy crime caper, and it will take place in the same "universe" (for lack of a better word) as the original Ocean's Eleven and its sequels.
The cast is some of the greatest female talent, and imdb has a list, but no character names attached. The list includes Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson (rumored), Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, and Awkwafina. That is about eight ladies, but as for what they are robbing, the plot is pretty much unknown.
According to a report on Deadline two months ago, the film, directed by Seabiscuit and Hunger Games director Gary Ross, is still casting. Ross has written the script, and he is well-known for screenplay for Big.
The first Ocean's Eleven was a very unexpected hit from a film that was top-heavy with stars, but the three films have grossed over a billion worldwide. Since Ocean's Eight and the three films are going to take place in the same "universe", it is possible that there could be some crossover potential. So maybe George Clooney will be showing up, and perhaps Julia Roberts will appear like she didn't show up in Ocean's Thirteen. Wouldn't it be great if there was a film that combines both casts? I'm sure that is part of the plan.
This would be a good time to make this comparison. Last summer, the all-female version of Ghostbusters premiered, and it received far too much hate than it deserved. Part of it was from those who just hate it when Hollywood remakes classic stories, and considering that the 2001 Ocean's Eleven is a remake, there is a lot of potential for hate here.
This time, hopefully fans will actually wait to see the final product before rendering judgment. As far as the release date for Ocean's Eight goes, there isn't anything set so far accept for some time in the year 2017.
