‘Straight Outta Compton’ Earns Box Office No. 1 with $56.1 Million Opening Weekend

Straight Outta Compton debuted at No. 1 at the box office this weekend with an impressive $56.1 million opening.

via Variety:

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.

Its 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.

Congrats to N.W.A. and everyone involved with the film. Did you get a chance to see it? If not, what are you waiting for??