Straight Outta Compton Tops US Box Office in Its Opening Weekend

Straight Outta Compton debuted at the top of the North American box office this weekend, with takings of $56.1 million.

The NWA biopic, produced by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, was expected to make around half that figure, having cost $29 million to make.

Exit polls showed audiences were evenly divided between genders, while 46% were African-American and 23% white.

Dr. Dre’s soundtrack, Compton, is also top of the US album charts.

The album is his first studio record in 16 years.

Ice Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., plays his father in the movie which tells the story of the band’s rise to fame and takes its title from their debut album, released in 1988.

The other big new film release, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., took just $13.5 million over the weekend, entering the chart at number three.

“I was hoping for a little higher number, quite frankly,” said Jeff Goldstein, executive vice president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros.

The movie was directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as a pair of American and Russian agents during the Cold War-era.

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation took $17 million, falling into second spot.

Fox’s Fantastic Four fell two places with $8 million to take the fourth place spot, while The Gift was fifth with $6.5 million.

North American box office top ten:

1. Straight Outta Compton – $56.1 million
2. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation – $17 million
3. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – $13.5 million
4. Fantastic Four – $8 million
5. The Gift – $6.5 million
6. Ant-Man – $5.5 million
7. Vacation – $5.3 million
8. Minions – $5.2 million
9. Ricki and the Flash – $4.6 million
10. Trainwreck – $3.8 million