The women of 'Ocean's 8' steal a big lead at the box office

LOS ANGELES: The women of "Ocean's 8" proved this weekend that they know how to steal the show — and much more — as the new heist flick took in an estimated US$41.6 million, (RM165 million) in North American theaters.
With an all-star cast led by ever-popular Sandra Bullock and supported by Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna, the Warner Bros. film was Hollywood's latest experiment — after "Ghostbusters" — in replacing an all-male cast with female stars.
The result: one of the top 10 openings of the year so far, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, and a better debut than the three earlier "Ocean's" editions made by Stephen Soderbergh and starring a male principal cast.
The latest chapter stars Bullock as Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny Ocean — played by George Clooney in the Soderbergh films — as she assembles a gang of talented women to plan a seemingly impossible diamond heist from a glamorous gala in New York.
In second place was last weekend's leader, "Solo: A Star Wars Story", starring Alden Ehrenreich as a young version of the swashbuckling space pilot. The Disney film took in US$15.7 million, roughly half its previous weekend's total.
Third spot went to "Deadpool 2" from 20th Century Fox, at US$14.1 million. This latest in Fox's X-men series stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role. Its worldwide ticket sales have surpassed US$650 million.
In fourth was a new film, "Hereditary", at US$13.6 million, the best opening ever for A24, the indie production house behind "Moonlight", "Lady Bird" and "The Disaster Artist".
The horror film, about a family, haunted after its matriarch dies, stars Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne. Its decent opening came in spite of an R-rating and a D+ audience rating from CinemaScore.
In fifth was "Avengers: Infinity War", from Disney-owned Marvel, at US$7.2 million.
With a cast including Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch and Scarlett Johansson, the superstar-rich extravaganza is now a mere US$500,000 away from becoming the fourth movie in history to cross the US$2 billion mark worldwide.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"Adrift" (US$5.3 million)
"Book Club" (US$4.3 million)
"Hotel Artemis" (US$3.2 million)
"Upgrade" (US$2.4 million)
"Life of the Party" ($2.2 million)
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Entertainment-US-film-boxoffice