Weekend Estimates: 'Compton' at the Top Again, 'Sinister' Doesn't Possess, 'Hitman' Misfires and Audiences Don't Go 'Ultra'

     Universal's biopic hit 'Straight Outta Compton' continues to rule the box office, defeating three new wide releases that all opened well below pre-release expectations.

     'Straight Outta Compton' dipped 55.5% from its opening to gross $26.8 million. That is a better hold than 2002's '8 Mile' (-62.2%) and 2009's 'Notorious' (-71.8%), but is an unimpressive one. Benefiting from strong reviews (89% on Rotten Tomatoes) and word-of-mouth (96% on Flixter), 'Compton' has so far brought in a whopping $111.5 million, and a domestic total north of $165 million is likely.
     Runner-up for the weekend once again belonged to 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation'. The big-budgeted Tom Cruise led spy film eased a light 32% from last weekend to gross $11.7 million in its fourth frame. With a solid $157.8 million in the bank already, a cume of $175 million shouldn't be too hard.
     Horror sequel 'Sinister 2' led the newcomers with a lackluster $10.6 million debut. That and the per-theater average ($3.8k) are well below the first 'Sinister''s opening ($18m debut and $7.1k average). Critical reviews (12% on RT) likely hurt the film's opening as well as  word-of-mouth (44% on Flixter and 'B-' on CinemaScore). 'Sinister 2' began with $4.7 million on Friday, fell 22.7% on Saturday to earn $2.6 million, and is expected to fall 35% on Sunday to go on and make $2.3 million. That puts the weekend-to-Friday ratio at a front-loaded 2.26-to-1, suggesting that the $10-million Jason Blum produced horror flick won't be able to hold up well in the following weeks. A domestic tally of around $25 million would be likely, which is a far cry from the first movie's $48.1 million finish.
     Video game adaptation and movie franchise reboot 'Hitman: Agent 47' grossed a disappointing $8.2 million ($2.5k per-theater average) this weekend. Performing on the lower end of expectations, which ranged from $7-$11 million, the $35-million action thriller from 20th Century Fox began with $3.1 million on Friday, slipped 5.3% on Saturday and earning $2.9 million, and is estimated to decline 26.2% on Sunday to gross $2.2 million. The weekend-to-Friday ratio there is a fairly back-loaded 2.65-to-1. With that in mind, 'Hitman' might have longer legs than recent video game adaptations, but don't count on it to make much more than $18 million total, especially with disastrous reviews (7% on RT) and mixed audience reception (55% on Flixter).

     Rounding out the Top 5, 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' was down a respectable 44.7% from its opening and making $7.4 million. That is little consolation, though, for performing way below pre-release expectations (totals ranging from $50-$60m). With an uneventful $26.6 million, 'U.N.C.L.E.' should end its run with over/under $45 million.
     $12-million Jesse Eisenberg/Kristen Stewart led action comedy 'American Ultra' debuted outside the Top 5 with a disappointing $5.5 million opening and a $1.98k per-theater average. The stoner comedy earned a lackluster $2.1 million on Friday, dropped 8.1% the next day, making $1.9 million, and is expected to fall 23.8% on Sunday to gross $1.5 million. That puts the weekend-to-Friday ratio at 2.62-to-1. This could turn into a modest success if it holds up that well in the coming weeks (it cost just $12 million), but with dismal reviews (45% on RT) and middling word-of-mouth ('B-' on CinemaScore), it should be able to crawl past $15 million total.   
     'The Gift' haunted seventh place with an estimated $4.3 million, which is down 33.9% from last weekend. The $5-million Joel Edgerton directed psychological thriller has so far made an impressive $31.1 million, and a domestic tally north of $35 million should be a lock.
     'Ant-Man' stole $4.1 million this weekend, down a very solid 25.6%. The $130-million Paul Rudd led heist comedy from Marvel has so far took in a strong $164.5 million, and $170 million should be in reach.
     'Minions' placed in ninth with $3.7 million, easing 27.9% from last weekend's performance. With $320 million in the bank, the $74-million 3D animated blockbuster from Universal should end up with a solid $330 million total.
     Critically panned $120-million superhero team-up flop 'Fantastic Four' fell a troubling 55.3% in its third weekend, adding $3.65 million to its dismal $49.6 million total. The troubled production should fall short of $55 million, making it all the more disappointing as the previous 'Fantastic Four' films opened around that figure.
     R-rated family road trip comedy 'Vacation' continued experiencing strong holds as it dropped 40% and made $3.1 million. However, it is still performing below expectations with just $52.3 million, and a domestic total of around $60 million is likely.
     'Ricki and the Flash' made $2.96 million this weekend, dropping just 35%. The Meryl Streep led comedy/drama has so far made a so-so $20.2 million against an $18-million budget, so $25 million should be in range.
     Overall, the Top 12 this weekend earned a combined total of $85.96 million, which is down 16% from last year when surprise hit 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was back on top with $17.2 million.