Ocean’s Eight, the all-female reimagining/sequel to the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, was filmed earlier this year in New York. It will be released next summer in June, after what I’m hoping will be a big, splashy Cannes Film Festival premiere (come on, make it happen!). The cast for Ocean’s Eight is lit: Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling and… Rihanna. Rihanna has obviously taken some acting gigs here and there over the years, and I was so pleased that she was cast in this ensemble. But sources tell Star Magazine that Rihanna’s scenes might be heavily edited so she’s barely even in the film. That is NOT how you treat Rihanna.
Editors working on Ocean’s Eight were having some wild thoughts about Rihanna’s performance. “They cut her out,” claims an insider close to the film. “They didn’t just reshoot the scenes differently with her still in them, they removed her entirely.”
While the insider adds that Ri still appears in some of the film, she’s in for a rude awakening when the movie premieres.
“She’s the least experiences cast member and I guess that must have shown,” reasons the source. “I’m sure she’ll still be amazing in the final cut, but there just might be less screen time than she was expecting.”
[From Star Magazine, print edition]
I’ve never had a moment where I’m watching Rihanna do something and I’m like “wow, she is a really terrible actress.” I’ve had those moments with Beyonce (lord help me), Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and, of course, Madonna. That entire list is full of women who should never try to “act.” But Rihanna? Rihanna brings a sense of realism and cinema verite to everything, like she’s never really “pretending.” What I’m saying is that I don’t really buy that Rihanna is a charisma vacuum on screen in Ocean’s Eight. And I will be sorely disappointed if her part is basically cut down to an extended cameo.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Rihanna can not act. I am so sorry. I am now warming up to her because she seems to be a “nice” person in personality wise, however I have seen Bates Motel and she was not good and that clunker mess of a movie Valerian, she has no business being there period. But to cut her scenes in the Oceans all female movies is just wrong. I will defend her thought, She deserves better.
Can’t act or sing!
@ Kiki, I liked her in Bates Motel. I thought she did a good job & didn’t play the part over the top (as I expected).
Are you kidding me? Rihanna was playing herself the whole time throughout the TV series. Just like Jennifer Lopez was playing herself in Selena. I think the only reason Rihanna is in the movies to get ticket sales after all she is pop ⭐with #1s that could pass Mariah Carey and the Beetles by the time she 35. Rihanna is a terrible actress and she need to get some acting lessons or just stick to singing.
Just in these stills they’ve released Rihanna’s the most compelling figure. Sorry but Bullock’s increasingly frozen Joan Rivers like countenance is unnerving me.
If they think they’re going to try and sweep in the young demo by teasing a Rihanna that isn’t there they have another thing coming.
I was never a fan of these ensemble pics with the obligatory minority token, now to hear Rihanna whose net worth and fame is bigger than anyone in this drivel, is getting the same treatment as an unknown extra, is just infuriating and sad AF.
All the movies she’s been in have sucked, that says something
I just flashbacked to that Battleship movie! *shudder*
It says she’s a young world famous pop star who’s only done a couple movies at best and is still looking for a decent project. It doesn’t really say anything about her talent of it’s the movie that sucks as you suggest.
Sandra Bullock had done her first few craptastic movies when she was Rihanna’s age, like Love Potion No. 9 and some Sylvester Stallone action pic that I can’t recall the name of before she hit big with Keanu in Speed, so it’s a good thing no one ran her out of town on a rail.
Demolition Man.
Also . . . mmmm Keanu in Speed. *drools like Homer for doughnuts*
Demolition Man has a cult following for some reason. A movie may not be reviewed well but still has an audience. Love Potion No 9 was cute and it got her a lot of attention. But yes Rihanna can be in bad movies and still be ok.
OMG, I love Demolition Man! Do you remember the scene where Sylvester Stallone is knitting a pullover for Sandra Bullock because of his re-programming? I found the film hilarious and tongue-in-cheek!
Not sure if The Net was before or after Speed but that movie is awesome.
Imagine – a time where ordering pizza over the internet seemed completely unrealistic.
“Home” did not suck!
Rihanna would be the only reason for me to even watch that movie. Very disappointing.
I’m so happy she’s cut out of the movie.
What. No. Stop it studios. You gave Eyebrows Delavigne basically an entire movie and she’s carboard on screen. Rih is like 90% the reason I want to see this movie.
She was the best part of Valerian so it’s surprising to here that she’s being cut from Ocean’s 8 because of lack of acting talent.
The best part box Valerian isn’t really saying anything, though. Specifically when you compare the best part of Valerian to the cast of this, she’s not going to shine well. I haven’t seen anything she’s been good in, though I know some people loved her in Pacific Rim. I don’t care about her getting parts, but certainly they could have cast a different woc in this? Kerry Washington, Zendaya, GuGu, Lupita even?
GuGu would have been a perfect and she’s a strong actress. Rihanna is a popstar and they wanted to use her name to sell the movie not her acting.
Rihanna was in Battleship not Pacific Rim
She wasn’t in Pacific Rim?
Kate, you’re right. I was thinking Battleship. Thanks for the correction!
what? What has she acted in (besides her own videos) where it’s been a good performance? seriously asking…b/c i can’t think of a performance that backs up this sentence:
Rihanna brings a sense of realism and cinema verite to everything, like she’s never really “pretending.”
this is all i could find on the subject:
http://www.mtv.com/news/2500515/rihanna-worst-supporting-actress-razzie-award/
Hi MissAmanda, it’s an ensemble knock off Ocean’s 11 action drama-dy flick, it’s not a stage production of Hamlet. I’m pretty sure Rihanna can handle the demands.
The razzie link was cute, but since Sandy Bullock WON it herself in 2010 for All About Steve, that kind of puts her in good company. Or at least she can say she never won it like Sandra. Who knows, maybe she’ll win an Oscar at the age of 50 too just like Sandy did.
Seriously, the “sense of realism and cinema verite” thing was enough to make me roll my eyes. I don’t com to this site for movie reviews, and it’s a good thing.
“Like she’s never really ‘pretending'”… I’m not looking for someone to “pretend” in a role, but I am looking for them to act. Rihanna does neither.
She’s not a good actress but I love looking at Rihanna; she’s a natural-born entertainer. I really wanted to see her with Cate and Sandra solo to see how she holds up but it might have been too lopsided so that’s why they cut it out. How unfortunate but I’ll still see the movie.
I think they intentionally cast to have some diversity and now they wanna cut part of the diversity out?? Wat??
Did they not know what her skill level as an actress was before they cast her? They could’ve cast a competent black actress. Just saying…
I mean, she’s playing one of the minor support characters. She’s the character who does some computer stuff when needed, not the Pitt/Clooney/Damon or the love interest or villain, so I doubt she had more than 10 minutes of proper screen-time to begin with. How much screen-time did Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Eddie Jemison or even Don Cheadle get in 11?
This just feels like Star is trying to create a story by pretending she was meant to have a major role.
Good point; she was never going to have a major role. She was the last to be casted. The film surrounds Sandra, Cate, Anne, Sara, and Helena with Mindy, Awafina and Rihanna.
Hi kate
As I recall the screen time of the Ocean’s 11, 12 & 13 were fairly evenly divided, after you remove the principles (Pitt, Clooney). The remaining guys/gals from Cheadle to Bernie Mac to Damon, Roberts, Zeta Jones, Scott Cahn, Casey Affleck, Elliott Gould and Andy Garcia,et.al, all had scenes that allowed them to shine and which showed how their character’s ‘talents’ were integral to the heist/plot.
Sure, it was evenly divided, but my point was many of the roles in 11 had very little screen time, and Rihanna’s role is similar to those. The secondary characters in 11, 12 and 13 all pretty much just had the one scene where they were the focus alongside the main characters, and then maybe 4-5 minutes of shorter little moments throughout. That’s all anyone should be expecting from Rihanna’s role in this. She’s not a lead or even one of the main supporting actors.
I don’t see how they could be making any major cuts to her role in light of that, since her only screentime is likely to be an introduction scene and some short scenes where she does whatever she does as part of the heist. I guess they could cut a minute or two of that, but anymore and her character would have no context and it would be better to cut her out entirely.
There’s just no way they could be leaving a lot of her footage on the cutting room floor, unless we were mislead about who’s playing who and she was meant to have a different type of role.
That is how I took it Kate. That was my point. The writers of the previous male Ocean’s movies did a pretty good job of establishing distinct characterizations for 10+ roles and containing that within a 2hr runtime. The actors and writers did a lot with very little facetime. It also helped that several scenes were all or most of the characters in groups and bantering. So if they’re paring her role down from even that, that’s got to be a bad sign for those who want more Ri in this film. It’s disappointing to me because I think she’s watchable and has charisma.
I didn’t know about the movie. Cast actually looks solid. I am so done with [insert women here] feminism though…
What does this comment even mean?
You are “so done,” with people wanting women to be seen as equals?
Not really… I am so done with Hollywood gimmicks around these reboots that tries to distract from the fact that they are making yet another reboot. No, casting all female adaptation of “male movies” is not going to make people think women are original or badass or funny. This is not empowering. This is Hollywood at its worst. Completely devoid of imagination and perplexed by their b.o. numbers, they are throwing a cheap bone to female movie goers.
Thank God for TV. They actually have original stories.
ITA, Rey. It’s like the all-female led remake of Lord Of The Flies: who comes up with such unoriginal ideas? It make me mad because it’s so lazy and disrespectful. I used to go to the movies a lot but cut it down because it’s just not worth the money and time. The only movie I saw this year was Wonder Woman which I loved. TV has def been producing more original/interesting stories for a while now.
Ok, i agree with your whole post here Rey.
Now i think I get your first post lol – you’re calling it ‘insert women here feminism’ – aha!! Lol excuse my slowness.
Go away, troll.
You can be a singer and entertainer but it doesn’t necessarily translate that you can act as well. Just like actors are not necessarily singers.
Girl is fantastic, fabulous, face and body like my gosh, but girl can not act. Fool ourselves never shall we. Think Battleship. Awful.
I agree! She’s awesome and original but unfortunately she never steps out of that when she’s “acting” which makes her a great entertainer but a poor actress. I’ve never seen any range beside what i expect from her, she is who she is and she’s awesome but it takes me out of the actual story in movies. I also thought of Battleship, holy cow! But almost everyone was bad in that movie though 🙂
Given the fact that this comes from Star, I’m choosing not to believe it. At least not until I see the movie.
I kind of doubt she had that big of a role to begin with though. It seems like Cate and Sandra will have the most screen time.
I had no idea this movie was in the making. Sounds gooood!! Can’t wait to see it.
“Rihanna brings a sense of realism and cinema verite to everything, like she’s never really “pretending.”
LOL
Given its context that may be the most ridiculous sentence ever written. Now if it had been written about Viola Davis, HBC, or a dozen other actresses it would have made more sense.
I just love her jet black locs.
I thought she was terrible in Bates Motel. Such bad acting that I was gleefully waiting for Norman to get all stabby on her, and then she got away. Boo.
Gee, could it be because she’s a singer and not an actress?? And she’s not even a great singer either…