The last three OCEAN’S movies starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon were all big earners, with each passing $100 million at the domestic box office. The female-led reboot of the series, OCEAN’S 8, with Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and more should have the same success, especially now that projections are placing its opening weekend as high as $45 million.
The numbers come via Deadline which reports that most industry projections place the weekend in the low-mid forties area, with some others placing it around the $30-35 million mark. The movie continues to track well among moviegoers, with the strongest interest coming from women over 25. This audience is the same that propelled other female-led summer comedies like BRIDESMAIDS, THE HEAT and last year’s GIRL’S TRIP to open strong and finish above $100 million.
The most comparable title to OCEAN’S 8 is 2016’s GHOSTBUSTERS, which also took a male-led franchise and rebooted it with a primarily female cast. The movie opened to about $46 million, and despite getting a thrashing from some moviegoers, went on to make $144 million domestically. That wouldn’t have been bad if the movie hadn’t cost an arm and a leg, but if OCEAN’S 8 makes that much it would be considered a hit.
These projections seem about right, and I can see it performing a little more or less than what they’re saying now. Other than ACTION POINT (which will skew to younger males), there won’t be much in the way of competition for the movie when it opens, and only TAG could take away some comedy thunder when it opens soon after. The recognizability of the franchise and it’s appealing cast should help it rise above whatever competition it does face, allowing to make some sweet cash and possibly act as the first of a new, successful trilogy.
OCEAN'S 8 opens on June 8.