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Los Angeles (AFP) – 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 $41.6 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 $15.7 million, roughly half its previous weekend’s total.

Third spot went to “Deadpool 2” from 20th Century Fox, at $14.1 million. This latest in Fox’s X-men series stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role. Its worldwide ticket sales have surpassed $650 million.

In fourth was a new film, “Hereditary,” at $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 $7.2 million. 

With a cast including Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch and Scarlett Johansson, the superstar-rich extravaganza is now a mere $500,000 away from becoming the fourth movie in history to cross the $2 billion mark worldwide.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

“Adrift” ($5.3 million)

“Book Club” ($4.3 million)

“Hotel Artemis” ($3.2 million)

“Upgrade” ($2.4 million)

“Life of the Party” ($2.2 million)

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