Look, 2016 has been a rough year (and not just because of the disastrous summer movie season), but if there’s been a beautiful throughline, it’s the emergence ofSarah Paulsonas a household name. A tremendous character actress, Paulson spent years under the radar, but started gaining major traction thanks to her recurring roles onAmerican Horror Story, and became arguably the year’s biggest TV breakout with her Emmy-nominated turn as Marcia Clark onThe People v. O.J. Simpson. Now, Paulson is riding that wave to a role inOcean’s Eight’s A-list ensemble.
Varietyreports that Paulson is in early talks to join the female-led Ocean’s Eleven spin-off fromThe Hunger GamesandPleasantvilledirector Gary Ross. If the deal goes through, Paulson joinsSandra Bullock,Cate Blanchett,Anne Hathaway,Rihanna,Helena Bonham Carter,Mindy KalingandAwkwafina. Presumably, Paulson will fill out the role of the final member of the titular eight (likely the roleElizabeth Bankswaspreviously attachedto), though no character details are available at this time.
Ocean’s ElevendirectorSteven Soderberghreturns to produce withSusan Ekinexecutive producing. Ross is writing the script alongsideOlivia Milch(Dude), and while little is known about the story of the caper reboot, early reports suggest it centers around a heist at the New York Met Gala.
For those who’ve grown accustomed to a weekly dose of Paulson’s on-screen magic, not to fret. The actress has also lined up another Ryan Murphy collaboration with a role in his latest series,Feud, which goes behind the scenes of the legendary rivalry betweenJoan CrawfordandBette Davison the set ofWhatever Happened to Baby Jane?.Paulson will star as Geraldine Page alongsideJessica Langeas Crawford andSusan Surrandonas Davis, along withCatherine Zeta-Jones,Stanley TucciandAlfred Molina.
Ocean’s Eight is scheduled to kick off production this October in New York.
