Ocean’s 8 Is A Go At Warner; Anne Hathaway, Rihanna And Mindy Kaling Round Out Ensemble

Consider it a rumor no more: Ocean’s Eight, the female-fronted crime caper spinoff that has set up shop at Warner Bros., has all but completed its casting spree, with Deadline confirming today that Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling and Awkwafina – otherwise known as Asian-American rapper and actress Nora Lum – are on the verge of closing deals.

They’re set to join Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett in the feature, with the core pair assuming roles similar to that of George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Steven Soderbergh’s original action trilogy. Speaking of which, the filmmaker is on board to produce Ocean’s Eight, though has instead passed on directing duties to Gary Ross (Free State of Jones), who penned the script for this all-new offshoot alongside Olivia Milch.

You may notice that Warner’s ensemble is currently one short of the title ensemble. That’s because casting is still underway, according to Deadline, and we’ll update you if and when the studio fills that final spot.

Pitched as a “continuation” of the Ocean’s franchise, Ross recently outlined his desire to retain the zippy, entertaining tone found across Soderberg’s film.

I think it’s a pretty similar tone. You know, Steven Soderbergh and I are incredibly close friends, and we would not have done this if we weren’t. I don’t think he would’ve wanted anyone to do it if we weren’t. This is very much an extension and a continuation. He’s a producer on the movie. In one way or another, this has been a 20-year conversation between Steven and I, collaborating in ways the whole world doesn’t know about: I helped him on the previous Ocean’s Eleven films; he shot second unit on The Hunger Games; I’ve done ADR lines for him; and he reads all my scripts.

It’s a very long, ongoing collaboration. This, I think, is a very seamless process. We’re different filmmakers, obviously, so there will be those differences, but one of the things I’m drawn to is the amazing tone Steven was able to create, and we discuss that a lot. We discuss the cinema a lot, the shooting style, the rhythm, the editing style, and the music. We discuss it all. I’m in no way trying to reinvent the tone, and I’m thrilled and honored to be extending it. It’s really fun to work with.

New York will play host to Ocean’s Eight this October, when Sandra Bullock will assemble her band of crooks for a new spin on Soderbergh’s original premise. No release date to report on as of yet, but we’ll keep you posted once we hear more.