Dave McNary and Pamela McClintock of Variety:
Lionsgate’s “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” is expected to lock up the top spot at the weekend box office as Perry’s most enduring character returns to a title role for the first time since 2006.
Pic is the seventh feature film Perry has directed. But not since the second --“Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion -- has Madea, played by Perry, been so prominently featured.
“Jail” has plenty of elbow room as it unspools in 2,032 runs. With the domestic B.O. running at record levels, the pic could join the list of films currently over performing.
The frame’s only other new release is Sony teen comedy “Fired Up,” which doesn’t have much buzz...
Just ahead of Sunday's 81st Annual Academy Awards....
Best picture contender “Slumdog Millionaire” has now grossed north of $90 million at the domestic box office. Among the other best pic nominees, Paramount’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has a running domestic gross of $122.8 million; Focus Features’ “Milk,” $27 million; Weinstein Co.’s “The Reader,” $20.1 million; and Universal’s “Frost/Nixon,” $16.7 million.
In terms of commercial studio fare, Warner Bros./New Line’s “Friday the 13th” heads into its second frame after scoring the best opening gross for a horror film. Horror pics often see steep drops.
Other holdovers to watch include Warner/New Line’s “He’s Just Not That Into You” and Fox’s “Taken.”
Tracking shows that “Madea Goes to Jail” could score the best opening gross for Perry since “Madea’s Family Reunion,” which debuted to $30 million on the same weekend in 2006.
Lionsgate needs a box office hit. In recent days, billionaire investor Carl Icahn has bought up more than 1.6 million shares in the indie studio, increasing his stake in Lionsgate to more than 12%. Move came after Lionsgate stock tumbled on news that it has lost access to a film financing fund, meaning fewer productions...
EW's Joshua Rich gives the edge to Tyler Perry in the battle to jolt the traditionally sluggish Oscar weekend
Next Week:The video game inspired Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li takes on the Jonas Brothers in their 3D Concert Experience flick...I can already hear the tween girls squealing as I post this.
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