“Straight Outta Compton” is heading straight for a dominant opening weekend of nearly $50 million at the U.S. box office, according to early estimates Friday.
The music biopic about the influential rap group N.W.A is overperforming significantly with nearly double what Universal had been forecasting earlier this week, when it projected a weekend in the $25 million to $29 million range.
Friday’s total for “Straight Outta Compton” looked likely to come in the $18 million to $19 million range with a Friday-Sunday total in the $45 million to $49 million area. That’s more than triple for Friday’s total will be around $5 million for an opening around $15 million.
“‘Straight Outta Compton’ has become a total cross-over kind of movie that’s captured the zeitgeist with a real groundswell of people wanting to see it,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Rentrak. “There’s been growing anticipation for it all summer. Now that it’s out, the story is really resonating among moviegoers.”
The film grossed an impressive $4.96 million in previews at 2,264 screens on Thursday night — more than five times Guy Ritchie’s “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” which took in $900,000 in its first showings. That number was 25% above the Thursday night take on July 30 for “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” on its way to a $55.5 million opening weekend.
“Straight Outta Compton,” directed by F. Gary Gray, is launching at 2,755 North American theaters Friday. O’Shea Jackson Jr. plays his father, Ice Cube, while Corey Hawkins stars as Dr. Dre and Jason Mitchell plays Eazy-E. Producers are original N.W.A members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, along with Gray, Eazy-E’s widow Tomica Woods-Wright, Matt Alvarez and Scott Bernstein.
The heightened presence of law enforcement agencies at theaters did not appear to be holding down moviegoer interest in “Compton.” The film includes scenes of gang violence and police harassment — including the 1991 Rodney King beating in Los Angeles and a re-enactment of a 1989 concert in Detroit where the band performs their song “F— tha Police.”
The $29 million film, co-financed by Legendary, is also opening in the wake of demonstrations against police tactics in Ferguson, Mo., and the July 23 killings of two movie patrons at a Louisiana theater showing of “Trainwreck.” There were no reports of violence at the first showings of “Straight Outta Compton.”
Reviews have been largely laudatory with an 87% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The performance will keep Universal’s hot streak at the 2015 box office in tact following hits with “Jurassic World,” “Minions,” “Trainwreck,” “Furious 7” and “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The studio announced on Aug. 5 that it had topped Fox’s all-time record for worldwide grosses in a year with $5.53 billion.
Warner Bros. is expecting a far more modest launch from “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” which stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander. The film is set in the 1960s against the backdrop of the Cold War.
The opening estimates range from $15 million to $20 million — a moderate start for a film with a $75 million price tag. “U.N.C.L.E.” is expected to perform well among female moviegoers at 3,638 U.S. locations. Reviews have been 67% positive of Rotten Tomatoes.
The Europe-set spy thriller is also opening in about 40% of the international market this weekend, including the U.K., Australia and Germany.
My friends and I went and seen it tonight snd talk about “very moving!” I still remember back in 95′ I was only 6yrs old and the announcement of Eazy-E’s death and still seeing how very articulate everything was, still brought tears. Every time I hear NWA on Pandora I crank it up. I was very pleased and overall hope that ‘Straight Outta Compton’ knocks the other films outta the box office because it is very much deserved. While in the theatre – it was packed and everyone and I mean everyone was singin with the beat during the concert scenes. ★★★★★ 5stars by far!!!!
Ok, I’m still stuck on “straight out of Compton”. I think this movie spoke value, and I hope for those that go and see it actually watch it, and realize how the world we live in is a cycle. However, I feel that cycle can be broken not by fighting, drugs, or all the other craziness that’s going on in the world, but by taking advantage of education and making ourselves better can make the world a much better place. Omg, that’s movie was great, and reality of what’s going on in the world today. We have the key to ending the hate, but we have to be willing to put in the work. This is only my opinion…
good the message is not for u or won’t reach u anyway
Took the family out to see the movie it was great good job to everyone know yourself and question everything you do
Absolutely amazing movie. This movie has forever changed my perspective.
Intact is one word
and then it will die. glorifying a bunch of criminals that can’t sing isn’t gonna last.
They don’t need to sing, that’s not their profession. As far as glorifying criminals, I’m pretty sure that’s not the point of the movie. In the opening weekend, the movie will make back its budget, which is incredible, since the studio initially felt that the movie would just break even.
Too bad they’re actually rappers not singers. Rappers who have become influential pieces in cultural and some of the the most successful men in the entertainment business today so yeah…
MAN FROM UNCLE was going to have a January release but the studio panicked for an August release. It would have been better off in January! We’ve had spy films coming thick and fast with KINGSMAN, SPY, ROGUE NATION. Next week there’s HITMAN 2 with BRIDGE OF SPIES and the big one in SPECTRE around the corner. UNCLE would have been better off in January as the first spy film of the year.
as if the real life violence wasn’t enough….no thanks….I’ll stay home.
ide be afraid to go to the theater to see this.
looks like a rough one…ya know.
will safely watch it on netflix.
thank u.
Let’s see, we’ve had white people shooting up movie theaters during showings of Batman, Trainwreck, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, yet you somehow think that the people who are going to see this movie are going to be violent? Based on history, they should be more afraid of you.
TOUCHÉ !!!!!
Good. I hope the other racists stay their asses home as well.
Bye Felicia
I felt the same way about Amistad, A time to Kill, Selma and Mississippi Burning… to name a few.