‘Straight Outta Compton’ expected to top box office for 3rd straight weekend

It looks like an otherwise strong summer at the domestic box office is is ending on a low note.

Though the box office is still up about 6% year-to-date, August has been slow with the exception of Universal Pictures’ hit “Straight Outta Compton.”

The N.W.A musical biopic, which has dominated the box office since its release, is expected to fall up to 45% in its third weekend. It will add between $13 million to $15.5 million, according to people familiar with pre-release audience surveys. It has already collected a whopping $118.9 million in the U.S. and Canada.

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Even with such a steep drop in its third weekend, “Straight Outta Compton” will likely outpace three new offerings: “No Escape,” “We Are Your Friends” and “War Room.” All three are tracking to make less than $15 million each.

“No Escape,” distributed by The Weinstein Co., collected $1.2 million at 3,007 theaters in early Wednesday showings. The film, which expands to 3,355 theaters on Friday, is expected to make between $10 million and $12 million over its five-day debut and $7 million to $8 million over the three day weekend.

The Weinstein Co. acquired the action thriller, which stars Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan, for a mere $5 million. It has played especially well in early screenings among older women and younger male audiences.

Coming-of-age DJ drama “We Are Your Friends” will also likely pull in around $10 million to $12 million. Warner Bros., which is releasing the film, paid just $2 million to acquire it.

FULL COVERAGE: ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and N.W.A’s legacy

The film, directed by Max Joseph (one of the filmmakers behind MTV’s “Catfish” series), stars Zac Efron as Cole Carter, a twentysomething aspiring electronic-music star. It co-stars Emily Ratajkowski of “Gone Girl” and Wes Bentley.

Also in theaters, “War Room,” the latest from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s TriStar label, is looking at an opening of between $4 million to $5 million in 1,135 theaters. However, it could do better than expected, depending on whether religious moviegoers will turn out to see it.

The faith-based family drama, which cost $3.5 million to make, is the latest from the Kendrick brothers, Alex and Stephen. The two filmmakers were behind the 2008 Christian box office hit “Fireproof,” which cost just $500,000 to make but collected $33.5 million at the domestic box office.

According to movie ticketing website Fandango, “War Room” scored 70 out of 100 points on the “movie buzz indicator,” trailing slightly behind “Straight Outta Compton.”

Analysts expect the box office will pick up in the fall, with bigger film releases on deck including M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Visit” and young adult sequel “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.”

For more news on the entertainment industry, follow me @saba_h

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