HOLLYWOOD – (INT) - The ladies of “Ocean’s 8” has pulled off a solid debut at the box office, swiping the crown from a recent string of tentpoles.

The gender-bending heist film opened to $41.5 million over the weekend— a series best for the “Ocean’s” franchise.

Jeff Goldstein, head of domestic distribution at Warner Bros., says the strong bow is thanks to counter-programming against “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Deadpool 2.”

“We exceeded our expectations,” Goldstein said. “There’s always been a lack of movies [female-led projects]. I’m glad audiences enjoyed it as much as we did.”

Women and older moviegoers bolstered numbers. Females accounted for 69% of audiences, while 69% were over the age of 25.

“Ocean’s 8” represents a solid return for its star, Sandra Bullock.

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” secured second place in its third week.

In third is “Deadpool 2”. Ryan Reynold’s anti-hero film has pocketed $278.9 million in North America and $376 million internationally.

Rounding out the top five is “Avengers: Infinity War”. In limited release, Focus Features’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” launched on 29 screens.

Story Date: June 16, 2018