Steven Soderbergh has passed on the baton. His ‘Ocean’s‘ series from the aughts is some of his most entertaining, enjoyable work, but the filmmaker handed over the torch to his filmmaking friend Gary Ross (“The Hunger Games“) who’s extended the series into the all-female “Ocean’s 8” and take all my money because this looks great.
“I just thought it was interesting to invade the terrain that always had an off-limits sign. That’s an important thing to do,” Ross, wrote the script with newcomer Olivia Milch, said a few months back. “And it would be great to see all these women do something that had always been the province of men.”
George Clooney sadly isn’t returning as Danny Ocean (though he is a producer on the film along with Soderbergh). But Sandra Bullock will inherit the franchise this time around as Danny’s sister, Debbie. Debbie is assembling a team of con artists to pull off the perfect heist at the annual Met Ball. Debbie’s team consists of Lou (Cate Blanchett), Amita (Mindy Kaling), Tammy (Sarah Paulson), Eight Ball (Rihanna), Rose (Helena Bonham Carter), and Constance (Awkwafina). Debbie and her team plan to steal a $150 million necklace that celebrity Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) will wear. But don’t be totally fooled, Anne Hathaway is given third billing, and in several cast photos, so she’s clearly, or at least, very likely in on the inside job.
The ambiguity of Daphne’s involvement adds a bit of intrigue to the storyline and it’ll be interesting to see how this team not only pulls off heists but how they differ from the previous films. But the ‘Ocean’s series has always been a pleasurable ride and with these amazing actresses at the center of it, it’s hard to see what could go wrong.
Fingers crossed that it doesn’t end up being another “Ghostbusters,” though. “Ocean’s 8” opens on June 8th.
