As much as Hollywood is famously known as the place where movie magic is created, what’s often forgotten about Tinseltown is that it is first and foremost a business, constantly on the lookout for new and entertaining methods by which to turn a profit. Sequels, franchises, remakes and reboots all factor in to this model and have been used with great effectiveness toward the ultimate goal.
At the same turn, even when the aforementioned methods succeed, there still remains a constant push to take things to the next level and continue to increase fanbases of popular titles. The latest efforts appear to be a move toward taking familiar titles and recasting them with women. While Paul Feig’s upcoming Ghostbusters reboot will be among the first to experiment with this model, should it succeed, similar efforts will undoubtedly begin to take shape.
One of these efforts was in fact in the works prior to the women-led Ghostbusters reboot, but has taken some time to get off the ground. A women-led Ocean’s Eleven spinoff starring Sandra Bullock and possibly Jennifer Lawrence is currently building momentum, led by director Gary Ross (The Hunger Games). Though the entire cast has still not been revealed, at present The Playlist is reporting that the next high profile name rumored to be considering the project is none other than Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett.
Nicknamed Ocean’s Ocho – as in Ocean’s Eight – by studio creatives, the story would focus on eight female thieves on a heist. Sandra Bullock will be the leader of the group and sister of George Clooney’s Danny Ocean character, while Blanchett – if confirmed – would play Brad Pitt’s Ocean’s counterpart. As far as Jennifer Lawrence’s involvement is concerned, scheduling could prevent her from taking part. The spinoff is intended to begin filming this fall/early winter and conflicts with several projects for Lawrence, one of which being the comedy she co-wrote with comedian Amy Schumer. Ocean’s Ocho was originally rumored to involve George Clooney in a cameo as Danny Ocean – but as things currently stand, that concept is no longer on the table.
Should Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence confirm their involvement in the spinoff, it would mean the current cast involves three Oscar-winning actresses. Whether or not these casting choices are the result of specifically seeking out an Oscar laden team of onscreen thieves, the concept is an intriguing one. There’s no denying that a cast made up of even more award-winning talent (like Brie Larson, Natalie Portman, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow) would be something worth seeing.
For now, it seems that everything that’s occurring with this project is tightly under wraps. However, as the estimated start of principal photography draws nearer, we can count on learning exactly who’s involved and where this new women-led story will take audiences. If the level of talent that’s currently being sought out is any indication, the latest iteration of the Ocean’s franchise could be the most interesting one yet.
NEXT: Jennifer Lawrence Circling Ocean’s Eleven Spinoff
Screen Rant will keep you up to date with all the latest news on Ocean’s Ocho.
