The Ocean’s Trilogy is widely regarded as one of the greatest heist films ever made. Apart from just bringing in a huge star cast that included George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and much more, the films featured and showed different aspects of casinos. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the three films have become a cult classic especially when it comes to Las Vegas or casinos.
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Just when it seemed that there would be no more Ocean films, the announcement for Ocean’s 8 has elevated interest to new heights. The film will be hitting the screens in 2018.
Major Differences
Warner Bros recently released the first still pictures of the movie. While it will be a heist film, it is likely to be directly pitted against the trilogy. There are some crucial elements that make it stand alone. For starters, it will be the first Ocean’s movie without male lead George Clooney. In fact, there are no male leads in the entire film. It will be an all-female cast, which sticks with the all-in philosophy of the Ocean’s Trilogy.
Sandra Bullock will be replacing George Clooney as the lead character. She will be supported by the likes of Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, and Rihanna. Matt Damon will be one of the very few names who will reprise his character from the trilogy. Aside from being a major shift in terms of the cast, Soderbergh is no longer directing. Instead, he is now a producer alongside George Clooney. Gary Ross directs the movie and he is known for works like the ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Seabiscuit’.
Beating the Original
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The sneak peek given out by Warner Bros predicts that the movie might adopt a laid-back approach, which would be a significant change. The picture also shows that a high possibility of no casino involvement in the new film. This could be a major step back, as the Vera John casino elements defined the Ocean’s Trilogy. Instead of a casino, it appears that the plot will revolve around the characters trying to rob jewels. The sneak peek shows the main characters in a subway train. Perhaps, it could be on their way to a major heist. We have to wait until 2018 in order to find out.
One of the defining aspects of the Ocean’s Trilogy was the slick screenplay coupled with some incredible acting from start to finish. There was also a tremendous amount of insight into the world of casinos. While the movie depicted the lead characters trying to rob casinos, the reality is a huge change considering that casinos provide a huge opportunity to win money in a legal manner.
When the news about the movie becoming official filtered through, Ross claimed that Ocean’s 8 will be sticking with the trilogy in terms of the overall theme. Yet, this appears to have been limited to only the heist part and not to the casino part. Even the director has been the first to admit that there will be significant changes to the film style, but is it too big a risk considering the immense brand. One of the biggest factors in trying to replicate the success of the trilogy is finding the best cast. In the trilogy, each cast excelled in its own right.
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However, the early consensus is that Ross may have made a mistake with regard to several selections. The inclusion of Kim Kardashian and Rihanna is especially being questioned when the female actors in the Ocean’s Trilogy featured some of the best names in the business like Julia Roberts. While the huge cast in the trilogy was there for a purpose, early signs are that the film may not take off amongst fans of the trilogy considering that it set huge standards.
Do Sequels Actually Work?
Sequels are one of the biggest money spinners in the Hollywood. Fans of great movies often criticised studios of trying to misuse a film – which would have become a cult name – in order to make more money without actually adding substance. Ocean’s Eight will also be subjected to such doubts, and the director has certainly not helped himself by coming up with some mediocre efforts in the last few outcomes. The disappointment of Free State of Jones, which failed to even make it to the production budget, is likely to increase the pressure on Ross.
The biggest pressure, though, will come from several sequels failing miserably to match up to the original.