Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter Join Sandra Bullock’s ‘Oceans 11′ Spinoff
We’ve heard rumblings for a while about Gary Ross‘ all-female Oceans 11 reboot. In addition to Sandra Bullock leading the film, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling and Helena Bonham Carter have all been rumored. Now three more spots have reportedly been filled in what is some of the weirdest casting news in a while.
In addition to Bullock and Blanchett, Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is close to closing deals with Carter and Kaling, plus Rihanna (who’s also starring in Valerian and Bates Motel), Anne Hathaway, and rapper-comedian Awkwafina from Neighbors 2, who’s real name is Nora Lum. I’ll give you a moment to process that information.
I can’t tell if I’m excited about this or perplexed. Maybe because I can’t imagine any on-screen chemistry between most of these actresses. They each have their own types of humor and idiosyncrasies, and they all often play very Type-A women. What is a scene between Hathaway and Rihanna going to look like? Is Blanchett the leader of the heist or Bullock?
Maybe all the group is missing is the eight cast member to tie things together. In my mind, that should be woman distinctly known for her comedy. How about Retta or Leslie Jones? Or Warner Bros. could more ideally use this opportunity to cast a Latina or Spanish actress, since the movie’s title uses the Spanish word for “eight.” How about Gina Rodriguez, Penelope Cruz, or Michelle Rodriguez? If you need ideas Warner Bros., you know where to find me.
There’s no plot details on the movie yet, but back in June Carter told Entertainment Weekly the script is “hilarious“ and “great for women. Director Gary Ross co-wrote Oceans Ocho with Olivia Milch and Steven Soderbergh is on board as a producer. The film is set to start shooting this October.