The gender-bending Ocean’s 8 is striking a chord with female moviegoers, earning $15.8 million on Friday from 4,145 theaters for a domestic launch in the $41 million range. That’s the best showing of the series, not adjusted for inflation.
The $70 million Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow release will easily wrest the box-office crown from holdover Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Ocean’s 8 is among a slew of gender-swapping spinoffs and remakes being plotted by Hollywood studios. Directed by Gary Ross, the $70 million film stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter. Two summers ago, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot opened to $46 million domestically, but was ultimatley a box-office loser because of its hefty $140 million-plus production budget.
Ocean’s 8 sees Bullock playing Debbie Ocean, the estranged sister of Danny Ocean, who was portrayed by George Clooney in the trio of Ocean’s movies directed by Steven Soderbergh.
The story follows the familiar Ocean’s formula, with Debbie getting released from prison and assembling a female-led gang of criminal specialists who plot to rob the Met Gala in New York.
It opens 11 years after Ocean’s Thirteen hit the big screen, debuting to $36.1 million domestically. By comparison, Ocean’s Twelveopened to $39.2 million in December 2004, while Ocean’s Eleven launched to $38.1 million in December 2001. Adjusted for inflation, those figures rise to $48.1 million, $57.7 million and $61.7 million, respectively.
The reboot earned a B+ CinemaScore from audiences; the previous three films likewise earned some variation of a B grade.
