Originality is in short supply in Hollywood. Remakes and reboots rules the roost, but how do stars feel when it's their story being remade with a new creative team? Too often, we don't get to hear the opinions of the people, because a movie is old, and the talent isn't around. But sometimes, RoboCop director Paul Verhoeven is able to critique the remake, or Matt Damon is able to weigh in on the prospect of a female Ocean's 11 remake. When asked about the upcoming project -- which so far has attracted the likes of Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett -- Damon had this to say:
I can't wait, I think it's going to be awesome. I think it's going to be fantastic. I just wish Jerry Weintraub were here to see it. They're going to kick ass.
Jerry Weintraub, in case you didn't know, was a long-time uber producer who delivered all three Ocean's movies with director Steven Soderbergh and an incredible cast that included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle and, of course, Matt Damon. Weintraub passed away on July 6, 2015, so he will not be able to see what the new version of this translated material will look like once it finally hits theaters. But the original, slick casino heist picture looked like this:
Now, let's clarify something about the planned Ocean's Eight that Matt Damon explains in this story by ET Canada, where Damon was helping to promote Manchester By The Sea (which he produces) at the Toronto International Film Festival. The new comedy crime caper will NOT be a remake of the 2001 movie, which itself was a remake of a 1960s Rat Pack movie With Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. According to ET Canada, this will take place in the same universe as the Clooney/Pitt/Damon story... which really means that at some point, we are going to have to have some Avengers team up of on-screen chemistry between the original cast and this new cast.
Ocean's Eight will be directed by Gary Ross, from a script by Ross and Olivia Milch. The cast it has assembled is to die for, including Blanchett, Bullock, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Rianna, Mindy Kaling and the rap star Awkwafina. It likely needs a good villain. What if they were trying to rob Clooney's Danny Ocean? I'd be down for that, as a clever premise. The movie will be in theaters in 2017, according to the most recent reports.
