Straight Outta Compton could be surprise Oscar best picture candidate

An Academy member said the NWA biopic is 'worthy of some real consideration'

NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

Compton is just a 30 minutes’ drive from Hollywood, but few movie executives spend much time there.

Now, Straight Out of Compton, the film that chronicles the rise of pioneering Nineties hip-hop group NWA, has been tipped to become one of this year's first Oscar contenders.

A screening of the film to Academy members over the weekend drew over 700 people - an impressive turn out even by Oscar voters’ standards, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

An academy member told the trade publication after the screening that Straight Outta Compton could have the makings of an Oscar contender for best picture.

Read more: How NWA' new biopic reveals simmering tensions

“It succeeds as a studio picture while transcending what that usually is. It’s a very visceral, poetic, terrific film. It is worthy of some real consideration, particularly I think for acting, director and even best picture.”

They added: “But, but, it’s very early in the season, and there are a zillion pictures coming out.”

The film, which stars O’Shea Jackson Jr as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr Dre and Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, earned an impressive $56m over its debut weekend in the US, scoring the biggest ever opening for a musical biopic.