While some deals have yet to be made official and one role on the titular roster of eight has yet to be cast, seven actresses are onboard for Warner Bros.’ upcoming female-driven Ocean’s Eleven reboot, Ocean’s Eight, in the vein of Columbia’s recent female Ghostbusters reboot. They’ve found a good way to save money – instead of paying for eleven men, they’re paying for eight women, which will cost the same as about five men in our unjust society. The Actors currently cast are Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, while those close to signing are Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling, and Awkwafina.
The rebootis getting quite acast for itself
I’m assuming the Film will centre on a new heist, entirely unrelated from the original films, with one of these women filling George Clooney’s shoes as Danny Ocean’s female equivalent (Danielle Ocean or something equally obvious). It remains to be seen which one will be playing this “Danielle Ocean,” but my guess goes to either Bullock or Blanchett, as they’re the two Oscar winners (Bullock for The Blind Side, Blanchett for Blue Jasmine), as well as the high-paid A-listers. Hathaway can claim their level of Hollywood fame, but she doesn’t strike me as the Clooney-esque leader type who could orchestrate a casino heist, she’s more like the cute tech girl or the Don Cheadle minus the annoying accent.
Bonham Carter has been nominated twice, but won neither, and she’s not a lead, she’s more supporting. She’ll be the Bernie Mac or the Eddie Jemison. She’s worked with a few of her co-stars before, like with Hathaway in Les Miserables and Blanchett in Cinderella, so despite her quirks, she’ll fit right in.
Rihanna’s acting credits include Battleship, the remake of Annie, and Home – it’s fair to say she’s had more success with music than films, but maybe this will be the role that sees her respected as an actress rather than a popstar in a movie (unlikely, though, let’s be honest).
Kaling is best-known for playing Kelly in the U.S. version of The Office and a thinly-veiled version of herself in The Mindy Project. As for Awkwafina – Nora Lum, as it appears on her tax returns – is another musician making the transition into acting. Earlier this year, she had a small role in Bad Neighbours 2, and her songs include “Queef” and “My Vag.” Ocean’s Eight will be a rare venture into slight sophistication for the comedienne of Chinese and South Korean descent.
Speaking of which, there is some impressive diversity in the cast beyond the switch to all-women, with Asian Awkwafina, Indian-American Kaling, and Barbadian Rihanna. Hopefully this isn’t just a bid by the studio to be more PC and an actual recognition of the very simple fact that someone can be simultaneously talented and not white (shocking!).
Oscar-nommed Gary Ross directing
Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit) is in the director’s chair for Ocean’s Eight, which begins shooting in New York in October, marking a refreshing location change from the been-there-done-that Las Vegas setting of the original trilogy. Clooney-obsessed naysayers of this remake may need to be reminded, the original that they hold precious was actually a remake itself of a Rat Pack-starring version from the sixties. Remakes and reboots are all part of the circle of life, it seems.
