Opening weekend numbers have always been important to the success of a summer blockbuster, but now we live in an age where the pre-release tracking can also have a huge impact on the way a film is received, so if the buzz on Ocean’s 8 is to be believed, then Warner Bros./Village Roadshow will be pretty pleased with the figures that Deadline is reporting.
Opening on June 8th in the US, industry number crunchers have it projected as high as $45m for the weekend. It’s a number comparable with the last gender switch franchise reboot, Ghostbusters, which opened with $46 million ($128.3 million domestic total) in 2016. While that film was deemed a commercial flop, largely thanks to the $140 million budget, Ocean’s 8 is estimated to have cost in the region of $70 million, so this will be a big score for the studio.
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The tide has turned and it’s a whole new “Ocean’s” when eight women plan and execute a heist in New York. Oscar winner Sandra Bullock stars in the title role, alongside Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, with Rihanna and Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gary Ross is directing.
Ross directs from a screenplay he wrote with Olivia Milch (upcoming “Dude”), with Steven Soderbergh and Jon Kilik producing, Michael Tadross, Susan Ekins, Sandra Bullock, Diana Alvarez and Bruce Berman executive producing, and Milch co-producing. Filming is taking place in and around New York City.
Collaborating with Ross behind the scenes are director of photography Eigil Bryld (“In Bruges,” “Not Fade Away”), production designer Alex DiGerlando (“Beasts of the Southern Wild,” HBO’s “True Detective”), editor Juliette Welfling (“Free State of Jones,” “The Hunger Games”), costume designer Sarah Edwards (“Tower Heist,” Showtime’s “Billions”), and composer Nicholas Britell (“The Big Short,” “Free State of Jones”).
Ocean’s 8 is set for release on June 8th in the US and June 18th in the UK.