‘Compton’ goes straight to No. 1 at box office

‘Compton’ goes straight to No. 1 at box office

LOS ANGELES

The boys from Compton smashed opening weekend expectations, while the stylish “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” struggled to find its footing.

Universal’s N.W.A. biopic earned an astonishing $56.1 million in its debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Director F. Gary Gray’s well-received film charts the formation and rise of the influential rap group. It cost just $29 million to produce.

N.W.A. members Dr. Dre and Ice Cube served as producers on the film, which has Ice Cube’s real son O’Shea Jackson Jr. playing his father. Dr. Dre also released the companion piece “Compton,” – his first new album in 16 years.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. PG-13-rated adaptation of the 1960s television series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” debuted in third place, behind “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” with a sluggish $13.5 million.

Fox’s “Fantastic Four” plummeted to $8 million to take the fourth-place spot, while “The Gift” took fifth with $6.5 million.

Actor Freeman’s granddaughter is killed

NEW YORK

Actor Morgan Freeman is mourning the death of his granddaughter. She was found stabbed to death Sunday on a Manhattan street.

Police responding to a 911 call at 3 a.m. found 33-year-old Edena Hines lying on the street with multiple stab wounds to the chest. She was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital.

A 30-year-old man was taken into police custody at the scene – in front of Hines’ apartment on West 162nd Street.

Freeman issued a statement saying that “The world will never know her artistry and talent, and how much she had to offer.” Hines had studied acting and was involved with teaching urban youth. She is the granddaughter of Freeman’s first wife.

No charges have been filed. Police are investigating the stabbing.

Notable Mississippians: Change the state flag

JACKSON, MISS.

Jimmy Buffett, John Grisham, Morgan Freeman and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning are among famous current and former Mississippi residents asking the state to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its flag.

The famed musician, author, actor and athlete joined 60 others in signing a letter titled “A Flag for All of Us,” that appeared as a full-page ad in Sunday’s edition of The Clarion-Ledger.

Others who signed it include Kathryn Stockett, author of “The Help;” Grammy-winning producer Glen Ballard, Basketball Hall of Famer Bailey Howell, former Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale, former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Ford, and former Gov. William Winter.

Associated Press