I was feeling Laremy’s $35.4 million prediction for Straight Outta Compton was light as I saw this one easily crossing $50 million and wouldn’t have been surprised to see hit it $60 given it’s not only serving an underrepresented audience at the box office, but at the same time telling the story of one of the most influential rap groups of all-time.
The N.W.A. biopic landed with an estimated $56 million this weekend, averaging $20,345 per theater, which is where the question mark came in. Along with a nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time and only 2,757 theaters this meant these shows were going to need to be packed to hit a substantial number and it seems that’s just what happened. To go along with that, the film took an “A” CinemaScore from opening day audiences where it grossed 43% of its overall weekend total.
Conversely, WB’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. did not enjoy a great weekend. Budgeted at a reported $75 million (which seems low), the film scored a mere $13.5 million this weekend to go along with a “B” CinemaScore. The film, however, while a pretty good time at the movies, is still rather slight and the marketing pretty much told younger audiences this was a movie more for those that might remember the 1960s television show and others that may be a little wary of the deadly serious spy thrillers that have permeated the multiplex as of late.
Meanwhile, Fantastic Four has dropped like a rock, dipping 69% from its already disastrous opening weekend last week. I doubt it was a marketing tactic, but you could have assumed the widespread finger pointing and stories about the film’s troubled production this past week might have made a few folks curious, but it seems this one just never stood a chance. After taking in $8 million this weekend its domestic cume is up to $41.9 million and it doesn’t seem like even $70 million total is in the offing.
Next weekend sees the release of Hitman: Agent 47, American Ultra and Sinister 2, which means Compton may have a shot at a second weekend at #1 if it can keep its drop somewhere around 50% and with an “A” CinemaScore and none of these titles looking like any kind of legitimate competition I don’t see why that wouldn’t happen.
