"The women are here — we’re not going anywhere."
A quote from award winning actress, Sandra Bullock who starred in the 2018 summer blockbuster, Oceans 8, a reboot of the popular Oceans franchise. Though Bullock’s seemingly innocuous quip may be mistaken for a simple mantra about general female empowerment, it actually embodies one of the key elements that is responsible for the film’s success: the women.
Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, and Awkwafina make up the diverse star-studded all-female cast of Oceans 8. These women each brought their own fan base, talent, and in some cases, industry, to the “table read”. Who would have thought popstar Rihanna would share the acting screen with Hollywood legend Sandra Bullock? Or who would have thought the quirky pairing of female comedians Mindy Kaling and Awkwafina with some of Hollywood’s most familiar faces, would be the icing on the cake? It was this obscure mixture of female stars intersecting with a familiar all-male franchise that created the perfect formula of star-power + familiarity + nuance that is sure to equal a blockbuster film. This strategy encapsulates an element of the “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable” (M.A.Y.A) rule that we studied in class: pushing the envelope just enough while also being mindful of not going too far. Additionally, the filmmakers applied the franchise formula discussed in class: Brand + Character + Replicable. Ocean’s 8 maintained the Oceans 11 brand through its storyline and character resemblance of the original male counterparts, while concurrently telling a new story of female intelligence, of diverse female character arcs and of friendship and loyalty mapped within a lucrative heist in a way that we have never seen before.
Though Oceans 8 was able to achieve blockbuster status, not every project has the same fate. The 2019 movie remake of Cats the musical is an example of an entertainment blockbuster that failed to live up to its potential. The film grossed $75 million on a $100 million budget, earning the title of “box-office bomb.” I believe that the Cats remake attempted to follow the same strategy that Oceans 8 did with its star-power, but in a critically worse way given the dichotomy between film and musical. With a star-studded cast including but not limited to: Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson and James Corden, Cats already set itself up for box-office failure. Combining this many stars from various entertainment backgrounds is a chaotic way to depict a traditionally fluid and prestigious musical. The heightened respect that follows an award winning Broadway musical given the unparalleled, live, raw talent of its original cast is a reputation that must be handled extremely delicately. Ultimately, fans were displeased with how the cast differed from its Broadway predecessor. In order to achieve blockbuster status, I would have prioritized the maintenance of its reputation through casting. While Jennifer Hudson is talented in her own context, her vocal range, stage presence, and singing style is vastly different from the original, Betty Buckley. Instead, I would have cast Broadway actress Philipa Soo, and other Broadway-trained actors to star in this remake in an effort to keep the original integrity that the audience is used to, while sprinkling new blood within the cast. This way, the audience is able to connect with the memory of the old, while easily digesting elements of nuance.
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