‘Ocean’s’ on top
It was the best-ever opening for any of the films in the franchise
Ocean’s 8, Warner Bros’ highly anticipated, female-led reboot of the successful Ocean’s heist franchise, debuted in first place over the weekend with $41.5 million (Dh152.4 million), above analysts’ predictions of $35 million, according to figures from measurement firm ComScore.
It was the best-ever opening for any of the films in the franchise, handily beating the previous leader, 2004’s Ocean’s Twelve, which posted $39.1 million in its opening weekend before going on to gross $125.5 million in the US and Canada.
“We’re proud of the movie,” said Jeff Goldstein, the studio’s distribution chief. “These actors did a tremendous job telling a fun story, going after a very specific demographic, females, an audience that is often underserved.”
The latest entry cost an estimated $70 million and stars Sandra Bullock as the sister of Danny Ocean. She assembles a skilled crime crew (Sarah Paulson, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina and Rihanna) to pull off a high-stakes theft at New York’s annual Met Gala involving an actress played by Anne Hathaway.
It earned a B-plus on CinemaScore and a 67 per cent “fresh” rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. The film releases in the UAE on June 21.
In second place, Disney’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, now in its third week, added $15.1 million in ticket sales. Fox’s Deadpool 2 came in at No 3, adding $13.6 million.