Box office report: Straight Outta Compton wins again

[keone]

<em>Straight Outta Compton </em>topped the box office for the third weekend in a row, but the N.W.A. biopic faced some unexpected competition in the form of&nbsp;faith-based family drama <em>War Room</em>, which surprised with an estimated $11 million debut.</p><section class="related-content-wrapper">
<h3>Related</h3>
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<a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/29/war-room-friday-box-office">
<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/styles/tout_image_196x134/public/i/2015/08/17/straight-outta-compton.jpg?itok=Q8j5LVvs" alt="" title="" height="134" width="196"> Faith-based drama in tight race with 'Straight Outta Compton' at box office </a>
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<p>Opening in just 1,135 theaters, <em>War Room</em> was expected to gross around $5 million for the weekend; instead, it catapulted to&nbsp;second place behind <em>Straight Outta Compton</em>, which scored&nbsp;$13.2 million during its third straight week at the top of the box office.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Critics largely panned the PG-rated Christian drama, which earned an 18 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences were thrilled with the film: <em>War Room</em>&nbsp;received an&nbsp;A+ grade on CinemaScore, one of the best marks of the year. <em>War Room</em> stars T.C. Stallings and Priscilla Shirer as a couple who turn to prayer to fix their marriage, and it was written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the brothers behind other faith-based films like 2011’s <em>Courageous </em>and 2008’s <em>Fireproof </em>(which starred Kirk Cameron as a firefighter with a troubled marriage). Both <em>Courageous </em>and <em>Fireproof </em>went on to gross more than $30 million domestically, but <em>War Room’s</em> $11 million marks the biggest debut ever for the Kendrick brothers.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Distributed by Sony’s TriStar, <em>War Room </em><a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/29/war-room-friday-box-office">actually topped the box office on Friday</a>, earning $3.875 million to <em>Compton’s </em>$3.83 million. Still, <em>Straight Outta Compton </em>pulled ahead to win the weekend, bringing its total domestic run to more than $134 million. That makes <em>Compton </em>the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, passing <em>Walk the Line’s </em>$119.5 million. Internationally, <em>Straight Outta Compton </em>opened at number one in several markets, including Germany and the United Kingdom, giving it a worldwide total to $140.9 million.</p>
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<p>Of the new releases, <em><a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/27/we-are-your-friends-ew-review">We Are Your Friends</a> </em>was the biggest disappointment: It didn’t even crack the top 10, and scored one of the <a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/worstopenings.htm?page=WRSTOPN20&amp;sort=opening&amp;order=ASC&amp;p=.htm" target="_blank">worst wide-release openings in history</a>.&nbsp;The Zac Efron EDM movie, which earned a C+ grade on&nbsp;CinemaScore, made a paltry $1.8 million – placing it in league with&nbsp;<em>Oogieloves in the BIG Balloon Adventure&nbsp;</em>and&nbsp;<em>Delgo&nbsp;</em>among notorious opening flops.&nbsp;Warner Bros., which distributed&nbsp;<em>WAYF</em>,&nbsp;paid only $2 million for the film.</p>
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<p><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">The final new release, </span><em style="line-height: 1.6em;">No Escape, </em><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">opened early on Wednesday and made $8.29 million for the weekend, bringing its five-day total to $10.4 million. The Owen Wilson action-thriller essentially tied with </span><em style="line-height: 1.6em;">Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation</em><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">, which made $8.3 million in its fifth weekend. </span><em style="line-height: 1.6em;">Rogue Nation </em><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">has now grossed more than $170 million domestically.</span></p>
<p><em>Sinister 2 </em>rounded out the top five in its second weekend, falling 56 percent to $4.7 million. Its domestic total is now $18.5 million.</p>
<p>Here are this weekend’s top five at the box office:</p>
<p><strong>1. <em><a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/05/straight-outta-compton-ew-review">Straight Outta Compton</a> </em>—&nbsp;$13.2 million</strong><br><strong style="line-height: 1.6em;">2. <em>War Room </em>—&nbsp;$11 million</strong><br><strong style="line-height: 1.6em;">3. <em><a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/24/mission-impossible-rogue-nation-ew-review">Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation</a> </em>—&nbsp;$8.3 million</strong><br><strong style="line-height: 1.6em;">4. <em><a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/27/no-escape-ew-review">No Escape</a> </em>—&nbsp;$8.29 million</strong><br><strong style="line-height: 1.6em;">5. <em><a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/19/sinister-2-ew-review">Sinister 2</a> </em>—&nbsp;$4.7 million</strong>

 

[raze]

So Straight Outta Compton is number 1 in Germany and the UK. Why does Hollywood keep saying Black movies don't do well overseas?

 

[therealjondoe]

When i saw the commercial for war room i thought it was a joke or something.

 

[easy_b]

No Escape would have been a better movie with another lead actor.

 

[LSN]

good shit

 

[trstar]

When i saw the commercial for war room i thought it was a joke or something.

Same here.

 

[peterlongshort]

So Straight Outta Compton is number 1 in Germany and the UK. Why does Hollywood keep saying Black movies don't do well overseas?

 

[largebillsonlyplease]

its a nightmare all over again

 

[Sampson]

So Straight Outta Compton is number 1 in Germany and the UK. Why does Hollywood keep saying Black movies don't do well overseas?

Comimg to America amongst others sold very well internationally. Hollywood is full of shit.

 

[largebillsonlyplease]

Comimg to America amongst others sold very well internationally. Hollywood is full of shit.

they just lie lol that's all.
lie because its not something they want.

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

So Straight Outta Compton is number 1 in Germany and the UK. Why does Hollywood keep saying Black movies don't do well overseas?

They love hip hop over there.

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

So Straight Outta Compton is number 1 in Germany and the UK. Why does Hollywood keep saying Black movies don't do well overseas?

Because for the most part, they dont. I dont understand why folks think the "views of America" only exist in America. You cant cherry pick a few films and say, "see!!"

It could be that the movies just arent good..but racism plays a part overseas as well. But when allow other people to paint your pictures....they create the perceptions..and the rest is history.

Also...not having the "means" to push your films to the oversseas market (independent folks)..and having to DEPEND on Jews/Hollywood to put yo shit in theaters is also a factor.

 

[havelcok]

So Straight Outta Compton is number 1 in Germany and the UK. Why does Hollywood keep saying Black movies don't do well overseas?

this really isnt a "black" movie though

 

[geechiedan]

Because for the most part, they dont. I dont understand why folks think the "views of America" only exist in America. You ant cherry pick a few films and say, "see!!"

An email from the producer in the Sony hacking who said that maybe they shouldn't put Denzel in big action movies because: “I believe that the international motion picture audience is racist – in general, pictures with an African-American lead don’t play well overseas.”...

If overseas audiences are racist then shouldn't they reject whites as well?? Lets say that being disinterested in seeing people who DON'T look like you is a natural reaction...its a story with asians but I'm not asian so I don't care..okay I understand that..then why is a movie with an all white cast playing in theaters in japan, taiwan, hong kong and south korea?? How many all asian cast films get wide release in the US? Over the world? None unless its Jackie Chan and thats it.

For the last near 100 years Hollywood has been all about promoting white people and whiteness more so than anything. So much so that its become the standard worldwide. Which is why you can stick any white person as the lead in any story set in any country and no one blinks but a person of color (not white) playing the lead is a problem. And sure you can have a handful of nonwhite actors who have broad appeal Will Smith, Jackie Chan, for example but thats a REAL short list.

The international audience isn't rejecting black people, they are rejecting anything thats not WHITE...and how did that happen? why is the primary languages spoken in half of africa and parts of asia, european languages? Why is SPANISH the primary language of central and south america? How did that happen? Thru imperialism, colonialism and brute force. European/white hegemony has altered in some cases the very make up of all those countries so much so that in some countries in africa skin bleaching/whitening creams are still sought out in the 21st century. There are people who reject their own native language and religion for catholicism or protestantism and a history that skews toward a european flavor. They don't hate blacks they hate THEMSELVES. But just as badly theyve been CONDITIONED to love anything thats European/white.

 

[geechiedan]

this really isnt a "black" movie though

whats a "black" movie????

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

If overseas audiences are racist then shouldn't they reject whites as well?? Lets say that being disinterested in seeing people who DON'T look like you is a natural reaction...its a story with asians but I'm not asian so I don't care..okay I understand that..then why is a movie with an all white cast playing in theaters in japan, taiwan, hong kong and south korea?? How many all asian cast films get wide release in the US? Over the world? None unless its Jackie Chan and thats it.

For the last near 100 years Hollywood has been all about promoting white people and whiteness more so than anything. So much so that its become the standard worldwide. Which is why you can stick any white person as the lead in any story set in any country and no one blinks but a person of color (not white) playing the lead is a problem. And sure you can have a handful of nonwhite actors who have broad appeal Will Smith, Jackie Chan, for example but thats a REAL short list.

The international audience isn't rejecting black people, they are rejecting anything thats not WHITE...and how did that happen? why is the primary languages spoken in half of africa and parts of asia, european languages? Why is SPANISH the primary language of central and south america? How did that happen? Thru imperialism, colonialism and brute force. European/white hegemony has altered in some cases the very make up of all those countries so much so that in some countries in africa skin bleaching/whitening creams are still sought out in the 21st century. There are people who reject their own native language and religion for catholicism or protestantism and a history that skews toward a european flavor. They don't hate blacks they hate THEMSELVES. But just as badly theyve been CONDITIONED to love anything thats European/white.

I can dig all that.

But my point is to point out that even though the overseas market is curious/interested in Black entertainment (or Black folks in general)......racism exist overseas just as much as it does in the US.

How do I know this? About 75% of the FRESH immigrants that ive conversed with, even the Black folks from Africa, always come to me with some stereotypical shit about Black Americans that i could easily debunk. The source of their bs thoughts was addressed by you already. But my point is a lot of them believe the bs that was told to them.

I know Black movies CAN sell well overseas...but we wont start seeing that in larger numbers until we stop letting them put out bs about us.

We let Hollywood control the narrative (amonsgt other things)..therefore Hollywood can say, "This aint gonna sell".

Thankfully...we can use the internet as a tool. A lot of independent Black film makers can push their product over the internet to the overseas market..(build a fanbase for little money). That way we can cut out the middle Man thats kicking up dust.

 

[gene cisco]

Good shit. And that's with a DVD-like copy out on the Internet before the weekend hit.

 

[dtownsfinest]

Good shit. And that's with a DVD-like copy out on the Internet before the weekend hit.

Damn for real? Where at?

 

[dtownsfinest]

Let's keep it 100 though. It's not doing well because it's a "black movie". It's doing well because of buzz and the culture. Hip hop is huge in other countries. Hollywood doesn't care what's successful. They just want to make money off it and historically black films don't do well overseas....shit they don't even do well over here.

 

[Sampson]

. Hollywood doesn't care what's successful.

They just want to make money off it .