The hip-hop biopic "Straight Outta Compton" beat all expectations to debut with $60 million at the box office, according to Sunday estimates.
The film about the emergence of N.W.A. rap stars Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E became the biggest R-rated opener in August, topping "American Pie 2," and left "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." far behind in third place with $13.5 million.
“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, tells Variety. Weekend estimates of a $56.1 million opening were upgraded to $60 million by Monday.
The movie also benefited from good reviews, the viral success of the "Straight Outta ..." meme, aggressive marketing, and the huge social media followings by the rap artists.
"Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" kept rolling in second place with $17 million in its third week. "Fantastic Four" plummeted 69 percent in its second week to collect $8 million in fourth while "The Gift" showed some staying power with $6.5 million in the fifth slot.
"Ricki and the Flash" also lost only about a third of its audience in week two, coming in behind "Ant-Man," "Vacation" and "Minions" in ninth place. "Trainwreck" was 10th.
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