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 "Straight Outta Compton", the story of rap collective N.W.A,
from Compton, California, opened on Thursday as protests take
place in Ferguson, Missouri, to mark the anniversary of the
fatal shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by a white police
officer.
It follows N.W.A, which included rappers Dr Dre and the late
Eazy-E, as they rose to fame in the late 1980s with lyrics
drawing from the violence, crime and anti-police sentiments that
the rappers themselves had experienced growing up in Compton.
Brown's death was one in a series of police killings of unarmed
black men and women across the U.S. that has renewed the debate
on race and justice.
Against that backdrop, and with security at movie theaters in
focus after a gunman killed two women in a Louisiana screening
of "Trainwreck" in July, private security and police presence
was increased at a number of venues.
"(In this movie) police don't come out in a good light and there
is a feeling in the country that is anti-police and
anti-establishment, and crowds are affected by movies," Tom
DeLuca, president of National Cinema Security, the largest
provider of security to U.S. movie theaters, told Reuters.
At a screening in South Gate, a neighboring city of Compton, an
employee checking attendees' bags on entry said the theater
hired extra security for the film's opening. One guard was
stationed outside of the film's screening room.
N.W.A. founding member Ice Cube, one of the film's producers,
praised the efforts of the studio and theaters.
"I am glad that Universal stepped up and it's all about making
people feel safe," the rapper told Reuters.
Comcast Corp-owned Universal Pictures said it would work with
theater owners on any security issues.
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"The studio has not solicited enhanced security for theaters who
will begin showing it this weekend, but have partnered with those
exhibitors who've requested support for their location," Universal
said in a statement.
Compton native Eddie Cruz told Reuters at a screening in nearby
Downey he hoped the film shed a light on his community.
"The majority of the United States don't really understand what's
going on in these cities like Compton or Oakland," he said. "They
need to understand what's happening and I think having it shown in
movies really helps that progress forward."
Attendees at the first screenings on Thursday in locations
neighboring Compton said they were not concerned about possible
violence.
"I'm here with my kids. I feel secure," said Leo Olea at the Downey
screening. "It's just a movie after all."
Fellow movie-goer Vince Montano added: "I'm pretty sure people are
smarter than that now so I don't think there'd be any violence."
The film is projected to top the U.S. box office this weekend with
upwards of $40 million, said Rentrak senior analyst Paul
Dergarabedian.
"People who are excited to see any movie this weekend are not going
to be deterred by any thought of violence at theaters," he said.
(Additional reporting by Alicia Avila, Mariko Lochridge and Mario
Anzuoni; Editing by Victoria Cavaliere and Alison Williams)
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