If Sandra Bullock and the team at Warner Bros. were waiting for the stars to align before jump-starting their new take on Ocean’s Eleven – currently codenamed Ocean’s Ocho – then there is perhaps no better time than now to set the wheels in motion.
In the past few days alone, we’ve caught wind that Thor: Ragnarok star Cate Blanchett was closing in on a deal to star opposite Bullock – the Brad Pitt to her George Clooney, essentially – while there’s also word that the female-fronted do-over has attracted both Helena Bonham Carter and Mindy Kaling. But the star-studded casting docket doesn’t end there; Elizabeth Banks, star and director of Pitch Perfect 2, is reportedly circling a role as one of Bullock’s partners in crime.
News of Banks potentially joining the ensemble arrives by way of Showbiz411 – the same outlet that broke yesterday’s casting spree – though it does go on to caution that negotiations are still ongoing at the time of writing.
No word yet on which role Banks is circling in the reboot, one to be directed by Gary Ross of The Hunger Games. What we do know is that the actress, who will soon be menacing Angel Grove as Rita Repulsa, recently pulled out of directing duties on Universal’s Pitch Perfect 3 – citing a scheduling change as the main reason for the decision, given the musical threequel was bumped from summer of next year to December 22, 2017.
With Power Rangers currently pegged for March of 2017, that clears up Banks’ slate somewhat, and at least going off of Showbiz’s report, the actress could well fill that void by starring as one of the eight thieves in Warner’s overhaul of Ocean’s Eleven.