Withproduction under wayin New York City on Warner Bros.‘Ocean’s Eight, thisOcean’s Elevenspin-off has finally found its villain.Damian Lewisis in final negotiations to join this star-studded film, which has a cast lead by Oscar winnersSandra Bullock,Cate BlanchettandAnne Hathaway. The remaining members of the title group are played byRihanna,Helena Bonham Carter,Mindy Kaling,AwkwafinaandSarah Paulson.
Variety reports that the actor has been spotted on the set over the past few weeks, and he will be playing the ex-lover ofSandra Bullock’s character, who is also the target of the group’s heist plans. While no official plot details have surfaced, there have been rumors that this team of eight has been assembled to pull off a heist during the Met Ball, where they will steal a valuable necklace and frame the gallery owner for the crime. Those details have still not been confirmed, but it seems thatDamian Lewisis playing the gallery owner in question.
Word of thisall-female spin-offfirst surfaced last October, with that initial report revealing that the story originated fromOcean’s ElevenstarGeorge Clooney, directorSteven Soderberghand late producerJerry Weintraub. This trio reportedly brought on writerOlivia Milch(Town & Country) to write the script. There was talk thatGeorge Clooneymay put in a cameo appearance as Danny Ocean, but it seems that isn’t happening, although it’s possible he could return in a potential sequel. However, it was recently confirmed that another member of the originalOcean’strilogy will be back.
During a red carpet interview last month,Matt Damonconfirmed he will be reprising his Linus Caldwell role in a brief cameo, although no details about how he fits into the story have been confirmed. The original Ocean’s trilogy earned $426.1 million at the domestic box office, and $1.1 billion worldwide. It is believed thatSandra Bullockis playing the con artist sister ofGeorge Clooney’s Danny Ocean, withCate Blanchettreportedly playing the right-hand woman ofBullock’s character, similar toBrad Pitt’s Rusty in theOcean’s Eleventrilogy.Ocean’s Eightis set for release on June 16, 2025, going up against Paramount’sTransformers 6, while also arriving one week before Disney Pixar’s long-awaitedThe Incredibles 2and two weeks before Universal’sJurassic World 2.
Gary RossdirectsOcean’s Eightfrom a screenplay he wrote withOlivia Milch(upcomingDude), withSteven SoderberghandJon Kilikproducing,Michael Tadross,Susan Ekins,Sandra Bullock,Diana AlvarezandBruce Bermanexecutive producing, andMilchco-producing. Filming is taking place in and around New York City, although it isn’t known how much filming remains on this spin-off.Damian Lewisis best known for his roles on the small screen, starring in the hit HBO mini-seriesBand of Brothersand NBC’sLifebefore taking on his Emmy and Golden Globe winning role as Nicholas Brody in Showtime’sHomeland. He currently stars on Showtime’sBillions, which returns for its second season early next year.
