Box Office: 'Straight Outta Compton' Debuts to Scorching $56.1 Million

By Brent Lang
LOS ANGELES, Aug 16, (Variety.com) - "Straight Outta
Compton" may take place more than two decades ago, but its
themes of racial tension, poverty, and police brutality still
speak to moviegoers living in a post-Ferguson world.
The biopic about rap group N.W.A. debuted to a blistering
$56.1 million this weekend in 2,757 theaters, surpassing
"American Pie 2" to become the biggest ever August debut for an
R-rated movie. It's the kind of opening usually reserved for
so-called "tentpole movies" that trade in costumed heroes and
special effects, not urban violence.
"The movie tapped into something in our culture and that
made it more of a must-see," said Phil Contrino, vice president
and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.
It's debut nearly doubles "Straight Outta Compton's" budget
of $29 million in a single weekend, meaning the film could be
among the most profitable releases of the summer. N.W.A members
Ice Cube and Dr. Dre helped produce the film about the early
days of gansta rap and were integral to its marketing campaign.
Universal, the studio behind the musical biopic, has been
having a year for the ages, as a steady stream of hits such as
"Jurassic World," "Fifty Shades of Grey," "Pitch Perfect 2,"
"Furious 7," and "Minions," have pushed its grosses to record
heights. Legendary Pictures co-financed "Straight Outta
Compton."
"Straight Outta Compton's" success overshadowed the
weekend's other new release, Warner Bros.' "The Man From
U.N.C.L.E." The stylish action-adventure wilted at the
megaplexes, bringing in an etiolated $13.5 million from 3,638
theaters. That's a particularly rough start considering that
"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." cost a sizable $75 million to produce.
The revival of the 1960s' television show had been stuck in
development hell for nearly as long as N.W.A.'s members have
been making records, attracting the interest of stars like Tom
Cruise and George Clooney and directors like Steven Soderbergh
and Quentin Tarantino at various points. The modish version that
ultimately made it to screens was directed by Guy Ritchie and
stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer.
Time may have hurt "The Man From U.N.C.L.E's" appeal. The
picture struggled to attract younger crowds unfamiliar with the
original show, as 86% of the opening weekend audience was over
the age of 25.
"Guy Ritchie made a terrific picture, but unfortunately it
didn't catch the audience this weekend," said Jeff Goldstein,
Warner Bros. distribution executive vice president. "We know the
older audience doesn't come out on the first day, so hopefully
they will find the movie over the next couple of weeks."
In second place, Paramount's "Mission: Impossible - Rogue
Nation" continued to get a lift from strong word-of-mouth,
picking up $17 million in its third weekend. That brings its
North American haul to $138.1 million.
Fox's "Fantastic Four" dropped steeply in its second
weekend, falling nearly 70% from its debut and mustering a
paltry $8 million. The film ranks as one of the biggest comic
book movie flops in history, having earned a meagre $42 million
stateside.
STX Entertainment's "The Gift" rounded out the top five,
earning $6.5 million this weekend and pushing its domestic total
to $23.6 million.
In limited release, Sundance favorite "Mistress America"
debuted to $94,000 in four theaters, representing a per-screen
average of $23,500. The comedy about a college freshman (Lola
Kirke) who falls under the influence of a wacky Gothamite (Greta
Gerwig) was directed by Noah Baumbach and was snapped up by Fox
Searchlight before it even screened at the indie festival last
winter.