'All Eyez on Me' Projected for $31.2M Opening Box Office Weekend

Despite mixed reviews, 'All Eyez on Me' is expected to nearly double box office projections for its opening weekend.

Image via Getty/Todd Williamson
Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Codeblack Films
Image via Getty/Todd Williamson

Despite mixed reviews, including some pointed criticism from both 50 Centand Jada Pinkett Smith, All Eyez on Me is expected to exceed initial projections with a $31.2 million opening weekend at the box office. The Tupac Shakur biopic was originally projected to bring in between $15 to $22 million, but according to a Deadline report by Anthony D’Alessandro, the film benefited from some prime placement in theaters across the country.

All Eyez on Me is also benefiting from its play in 200 premium large format theaters, which is included in its overall 2,471 theater count,” D’Alessandro wrote.

From a critical standpoint, All Eyez on Me currently holds a 40 out of 100 rating on Metacritic and an audience score of 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Since initially being announced in 2011, the big screen portrayal of Shakur’s life has cycled through four directors. Antoine Fuqua, John Singleton and Carl Franklin were each separately selected as directors at various points. Each left for different reasons with Singleton publicly stating, “the people involved aren’t really respectful of the legacy of Tupac Amaru Shakur” in 2015. Benny Boom eventually signed on in November of 2015 to see the film through to its completion in April 2016.

Boom appears to have christened the opening weekend with a dinger alongside Power actor Omari Hardwick and All Eyez on Me lead Demetrius Shipp Jr. He posted a picture of the occasion on Instagram and asked fans to flood theaters in celebration while quoting a biblical passage.

“Great dinner last night with my frat@omarihardwickofficial star of my first film and @dshippjr star of #AllEyezOnMe,” Boom wrote in his caption, while using the hastag #TupacDay. Boom continued, “Let’s flood the theaters Saturday people. *Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness which is of me, saith Jehovah.” Lets Celebrate!"

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