This image released by Warner Bros. shows, from foreground left, Sandra Bullock Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett and Awkwafina in a scene from "Ocean's 8." (Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. via AP) (Associated Press) 
 
 This image released by Warner Bros. shows, from foreground left, Sandra Bullock Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett and Awkwafina in a scene from "Ocean's 8." (Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. via AP) (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW YORK (AP) — "Ocean's 8," the female-fronted overhaul of the starry "Ocean's" heist franchise, opened with an estimated $41.5 million at the box office, taking the weekend's top spot from the fast-falling "Solo: A Star Wars Story." 
 
 At a lower price point and in less fanboy-guarded franchise, "Ocean's 8" — despite ho-hum reviews — found nothing like the stormy reception than the female-led "Ghostbusters" reboot did on the same weekend two years ago. 
 
 Made for approximately $70 million, "Ocean's 8" and its cast featuring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway, set an opening-weekend best for the franchise, not accounting for inflation. The three previous "Ocean's" films — starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon, and based on the 1960 original "Ocean's 11," with Frank Sinatra — all debuted with between $36-39 million in the last decade. 
 
 "Ocean's 8," also starring Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter, drew a largely female audience — 69 percent female — for a result that slightly surpassed expectations. 
 
 "We thought we'd come in in the $35-40 (million) range," said Warner Bros. distribution chief Jeff Goldstein. "Number one, it's fun. Number two, it hits an underserved audience. Unfortunately, there is just a lack of stories that are aimed right at women." 
 
 Yet the weekend's three new wide releases were all female fronted. 
 
 The horror thriller "Hereditary," starring Toni Collette, debuted with $13 million, setting a new company record for A24, the indie distributor behind releases like "The Witch" and "Moonlight." The feature-film directing debut of Ari Aster, "Hereditary" has received rave reviews and been hailed as the year's scariest movie since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Either from disappointment or simply because they were stunned from fear, audiences gave "Hereditary" — about a family cursed after the death of its matriarch — a D-plus CinemaScore. 
 
 Less successful was "Hotel Artemis," starring Jodie Foster. The Global Road release, also starring Sterling K. Brown, Dave Bautista and Charlie Day, flopped with $3.2 million in 2,407 theaters. Set in a near-future Los Angeles, "Hotel Artemis" is about a members-only hospital for criminals. 
 
 Coming between more massive blockbusters like the recent "Solo" and the upcoming "Incredibles 2" and "Jurassic World," the weekend was down about 20 percent from last year, according to comScore, when "Wonder Woman" was setting box-office records. But some of the story was still the same. 
 
 "There's a lot of women-powered revenue at the box office in the heat of the summer season," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. "Films featuring female leads are killing it at the box office, but that's been going on for quite a while." 
 
 One of the early summer's more breakout hits has been the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg documentary "RBG," which has made $9.1 million in six weeks of release through Sunday. 
 
 Opening this weekend was another documentary that may prove a similar sensation: the Fred Rogers documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor." The Focus Features release grossed $470,000 in 29 theaters for a per-theater average of about $16,000. The film, 99 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, has been acclaimed for its portrait of the man behind "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Focus said two thirds of the documentary's audience was under the age of 45. 
 
 Meanwhile, the troubled "Solo" slid to second place with $15.2 million on its third weekend. It has now grossed $176.1 million, well off its expected pace. 
 
 "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" began its international rollout in 48 overseas markets with an estimated $151.1 million, said Universal Pictures. That's a predictably strong start for a film expected to be one of the biggest of the summer. It opens Friday in China, and on June 22 in North America. 
 
 Initial reviews, which came out this week, were mixed for J.A. Bayona's sequel. But critics were also less thrilled with 2015's "Jurassic World," which grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide. 
 
 Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 
 
 1. "Ocean's 8," $41.5 million. 
 
 2. "Solo: A Star Wars Story," $15.2 million. 
 
 3. "Deadpool 2," $13.7 million. 
 
 4. "Hereditary," $13 million. 
 
 5. "Avengers: Infinity War," $6.8 million. 
 
 6. "Adrift," $5.1 million. 
 
 7. "Book Club," $4.2 million. 
 
 8. "Hotel Artemis," $3.2 million. 
 
 9. "Upgrade," $2.2 million. 
 
 10. "Life of the Party," $2.1 million. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP ||||| The ladies of “Ocean’s 8” pulled off a solid debut at the North American box office, swiping the crown from a recent string of tentpoles. 
 
 The gender-bending heist film opened to $41.5 million from 4,145 locations — a series best for the “Ocean’s” franchise. Overseas, it launched with $12.2 million for a global start of $53.7 million. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures co-financed the spin-off, which cost $70 million. 
 
 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” currently has a B+ CinemaScore and 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 
 
 The spin-off marks over a decade since Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s” trilogy with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon graced the big screen. “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” and “Ocean’s Thirteen,” which released between 2001 and 2007, each bowed between $36 million and $39 million, not adjusted for inflation. Adjusted for inflation, that range climbs to $48 million and $61 million. 
 
 Related Sandra Bullock Plots a Heist in First 'Ocean's 8' Trailer 'Crazy Rich Asians' Breakout Awkwafina on Stealing Scenes and Why Representation Matters 
 
 “Ocean’s 8” represents a solid return for its star, Sandra Bullock. Her latest on-screen role was in 2015 with “Our Brand Is Crisis,” which bombed with a $3 million opening and grossed only $7 million worldwide. Prior to that, Bullock starred in the critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller “Gravity,” which landed her an Oscar nom. The film opened to $55.7 million and went on to make $274 domestically and $723 million worldwide. 
 
 Bullock has long been a box office draw. As of March 2017, the animated global hit “Minions” is her highest grossing film. She voiced the supervillain in the franchise-starter, which earned over $1.1 billion worldwide. “Gravity” is the highest grosser of her live action films, followed by 2009’s “The Blind Side” — which won Bullock the best actress Academy Award — and “The Proposal” in the same year. 
 
 Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina round out “Ocean’s 8’s” star-studded cast. “Hunger Games” helmer Gary Ross directed the film. 
 
 Meanwhile, Toni Collette’s “Hereditary” also got a box office boost. A24’s R-rated thriller didn’t scare audiences away — it exceeded estimates to open in fourth place with $13 million from 2,964 locations. “Hereditary” marks A24’s best opening weekend in history, outpacing 2015’s “The Witch’s” $8.8 million bow. 
 
 Ari Aster’s directorial debut has been critically lauded since its debut in the Midnight section at Sundance Film Festival. Audiences appear to disagree — the horror film currently has a D+ CinemaScore and 64% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its critical rating is 94% Fresh. 
 
 Not all weekend openers were as fortunate as “Ocean’s 8” and “Hereditary,” however. “Hotel Artemis” checked in with a dismal $3.1 million on 2,407 screens. Jodie Foster and Sterling K. Brown star in the action thriller set in the near future. 
 
 “Hotel Artemis” represents Foster’s first big screen role since 2013’s “Elysium,” which opened with $29.8 million. The sci-fi drama went on to earn $93 million in North America and $286 worldwide. 
 
 With “Ocean’s 8” easily nabbing the box office crown, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” secured second place with $15.2 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total $176.4 million. Internationally, the Han Solo origin story brought in an additional $11.3 million. The Disney and Lucasfilm movie continues to struggle with a global tally of $312.2 million. 
 
 In third is “Deadpool 2” with $13.8 million in its fourth frame. Ryan Reynold’s antihero film has pocketed $278.9 million in North America and $376 million internationally, including an $18 million overseas haul this weekend. 
 
 Rounding out the top five is the seventh weekend of “Avengers: Infinity War” with $6.9 million. The Marvel adventure picked up another $10.9 million overseas, bringing its global total to $1.998 billion. 
 
 In limited release, Focus Features’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” launched with $470,000 on 29 screens. The documentary on the life and legacy of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” host Fred Rogers stirred up positive social media buzz, with audiences sharing how the film spurred them to tears. It has a 99% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 
 
 Overall, the year to date box office is ahead 4.3%, according to comScore. 
 
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– Ocean's 8, the female-fronted overhaul of the starry "Ocean's" heist franchise, opened with an estimated $41.5 million at the box office, taking the weekend's top spot from the fast-falling Solo: A Star Wars Story, the AP reports. At a lower price point and in a less fanboy-guarded franchise, Ocean's 8—despite ho-hum reviews—found nothing like the stormy reception than the female-led Ghostbusters reboot did on the same weekend two years ago. Made for approximately $70 million, Ocean's 8 and its cast featuring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Anne Hathaway, set an opening-weekend best for the franchise, not accounting for inflation. The three previous "Ocean's" films—starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Matt Damon, and based on the 1960 original Ocean's 11 with Frank Sinatra—all debuted with between $36-39 million in the last decade. In fact, the weekend's three new wide releases were all female fronted. The horror thriller Hereditary, starring Toni Collette, debuted with $13 million, setting a new company record for A24, the indie distributor behind releases like The Witch and Moonlight. Less successful was Hotel Artemis, starring Jodie Foster. The Global Road release flopped with $3.2 million in 2,407 theaters. The weekend's top five after Ocean's 8 are Solo ($15.2 million), Deadpool 2 ($13.8 million), Hereditary ($13 million), and Avengers: Infinity War ($6.9 million), Variety reports.