This past weekend, the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton topped the box office and surpassed previously reported debut projections by a long shot, better than doubling the original expected take.
Compton debuted to $56.1 million this weekend in 2,757 theaters nationwide. As noted by CNBC, the film trumped American Pie 2, making it the biggest ever August debut for an R-rated movie. The original projections for the opening weekend were $25 million to $29 million. Variety later reported that the film was expected to bring in $49 million its opening weekend.
"The movie tapped into something in our culture and that made it more of a must-see," Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, said.
Compton, which depicts Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella during their rise to stardom in the late 1980s and early 1990s, also centers on themes of racial tension, poverty and police brutality. One standout scene from the film is a portrayal of the group's infamous performance of "F*ck the Police" during a show in Detroit.
Dr. Dre spoke on the shock of gaining mainstream popularity from songs made for their neighborhood.
"We had no idea we'd blow up this major," he said. "You see, every time we went into the studio we were only trying to make tracks that would rock our neighborhood. Our goal was to be local stars...Imagine this: We made Straight Outta Compton in six weeks, and that's without working weekends. Twenty-five years later, and here's a big-ass Hollywood movie carrying the same name. It's unbelievable."
The film also highlights the misfortunes of the music industry and the untimely death of Eazy-E. This past March marked the 20th anniversary of the passing of the N.W.A. rapper. In March of 1995, the pioneer gangsta rapper died of AIDS, the condition or syndrome caused by the HIV virus. He is noted as one of the first major music performers to announce he had the disease.
Last month, it was reported that the group would reunite with Dr. Dre's protégé, Eminem, filling in for Eazy.
