'Straight Outta Compton' Set to Open at No. 1
Straight Outta Compton is going straight to No. 1 at the box office.
The N.W.A biopic pulled in $24 million on Friday, putting it on track for a $57 million opening weekend, according to studio estimates.
The Universal/Legendary film grossed close to $5 million from 2,264 screens in Thursday night previews before expanding to 2,755 screens on Friday, reports Variety.
Directed by F. Gary Gray, the biopic stars O’Shea Jackson, Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, and Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E. Cube and Dre serve as producers, along with Eazy-E’s widow Tomica Woods-Wright.
It’s blasting past projections—Universal had estimated opening weekend figures between $25 million and $29 million, around half the amount it’s now expected to total. The film cost $29 million to make.
Compton is crushing the competition including The Man From U.N.C.L.E. ($13 million) and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which is expected to do $17 million in its third weekend.
The film has received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, with an average grade of “A” on CinemaScore.