【1977 Archives】

There were more opening-night eyes977 ArchivesTupac Shakur than Pixar’s talking cars – but this race is rigged, folks.

All Eyez on Metook in $3.1 million on Thursday night in North America, zooming past Cars 3-- an impressive start for the Tupac biopic, indeed. The Disney/Pixar three-quel, meanwhile, put up $2.8 million in overnight previews.

But make no mistake: Team Lightning McQueen will prevail in the end.

Tupac’s fanbase is an older, passionate crowd, so it stands to reason that they’d turn out for late Thursday showings. All Eyez, opening on what would’ve been Tupac’s 46th birthday weekend, is tracking to make something approaching $20 million for its opening frame (though we’re guessing it’ll do closer to $30 million at this point).

Cars 3, meanwhile, will draw families in droves for one of the first full school’s-out weekends of summer. Its $2.8 million Thursday night haul is comparable to what Monsters Universitydid for its preview night ($2.6 million), and that film went on to make $82 million in its opening weekend.

Cars 3is looking at something more like $60 million for its North American debut, with Wonder Womantrailing in the $30 million range.

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