There’s zero question that “Straight Outta Compton” is the summer’s most surprising hit. So surprising that the movie grossed over $56 million in its debut weekend. The movie, which is a biopic about the rap group N.W.A. opened in over 2700 theaters and surpassed “American Pie 2” as the biggest ever August debut for an R-Rated movie.
Movies that earn that kind of money are usually of the over hyped and over budgeted kind. Opening weekends like this are reserved for your blockbusters like movies about superheroes or those that feature tons of special effects. But not this one. “Straight Outta Compton’s” budget of $29 million in a single weekend means 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 gangsta rap and were integral to its marketing campaign. The total is even more impressive considering that the film comes at the tail end of the summer season and stars relative unknown actors.
And just in case you are wondering what the top opening weekends for R-Rated movies are in history, here they are!
1 The Matrix Reloaded – $91,774,413 – 5/15/03
2 American Snipe – $89,269,066 – 1/16/15
3 The Hangover Part II – $85,946,294 – 5/26/11
4 Fifty Shades of Grey- $85,171,450 – 2/13/15
5 Passion of the Christ – $83,848,082 – 2/25/04
6 300 – $70,885,301 – 3/9/07
7 Hannibal MGM – $58,003,121 – 2/9/01
8 22 Jump Street Sony – $57,071,445 – 6/13/14
9 Sex and the City – $57,038,404 – 5/30/08
10 Straight Outta Compton – $56,100,000 – 8/14/15
