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Full analysis here including the controversy over Madea Goes To Jail. This latest (and, in terms of racial stereotyping, perhaps the worst) from Tyler Perry was the largest opening weekend gross on the fewest amount of screens ever (2,032) and the highest grossing weekend opening in Lionsgate history. Good timing that, what with corporate raider/activist Carl Icahn and his pals buying up control of the publicly traded company at a fast rate. This is Perry’s 4th theatrical film out of 7 releases to debut at No. 1. ”Madea may have gone to jail, but Tyler Perry took another trip to the bank,” quips Paul Dergarabedian of Media By Numbers.
Holdovers continue to outperform. 20th Century Fox’s Taken took No. 2 and another $11.4M this weekend and nears the $100M magic mark. Focus Features’ Coraline 3-D was #3 with $11M. And in 4th place, New Line/Warner Bros’ He’s Just Not That Into You reached a $70 million cume after an $8.5 million weekend.
Meanwhile, Sony Pictures opened its 2nd straight bomb in 2 weeks. Last weekend, it was The International. This weekend, it was the stupid teen boys-invade-cheerleading camp Fired Up which took in only $6M from 1,810 theaters for only 9th place. The studio noted its modest budget of $20M for an audience that was 61% female and 61% under the age of 18. It’s clear that Sony’s Screen Gems division should stick to horror flicks.
Rounding out the Top 5 this weekend is tonight’s shoo-in Best Picture Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, which has put almost $100 million of domestic box office grosses into Fox Searchlight coffers after this weekend’s $8 million take. From Friday and Saturday, it experienced an 11% Academy Award boost already. Going into tonight’s ceremony, Hollywood movies are more popular than ever. (Although the usual Oscar dragfest could kill that. Just kidding.) This weekend’s total grosses were up again over last year’s by a whopping 30%.
Weekend Top 10
1. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail (Lionsgate) OPENER $41.1M Wkd [2,032 Theaters]
2. Taken (20th Century Fox) $11.4M Wkd [3,102], Cume $95.1M
3. Coraline 3-D (Focus Features) $11M Wkd [2,155], Cume $53.3M
4. He’s Just Not That Into You (NL/Warner Bros) $8.5M Wkd [3,050], Cume $70M
5. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) $8M Wkd [2,244], Cume $98M
6. Friday The 13th (NL/Warner Bros) $7.8M (-81%) Wkd [3,105], Cume $55M
7. Confessions Of A Shopaholic (Disney) $7M Wkd (-53%) [2,507], Cume $27.6M
8. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Columbia/Sony) $7M Wkd [2,835], Cume $121.3M
9. Fired Up (Screen Gems/Sony) OPENER $6M Wkd [1,810]
10. The International (Sony) $4.4M (-52%) Wkd [2,364], Cume $17M
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This will fail to make 100M as well in spite of an over 40M opening weekend but like Friday the 13th, the tremendous opening means that none of that really matters.
Perry was on some talk show and said that he’s considering retiring the Madea character. If he does that, he’s dumb as his non-Madea films don’t do nearly as well. Lionsgate should force him to keep the character alive as without Madea, their substantial investment in Perry doesn’t really bear out. Didn’t they spend over 100M building him his very own studio?
Don’t we feel stupid…
105M and counting.
Force? Tyler is one of the few people in Hollywood who is NOT a slave.
Yes, those…er, movies..perform better when he’s in drag. Which means he’ll keep doing it, because Tyler’s commercial instinct is uncanny. However, Lionsgate’s investment in his film and television company has paid for itself many times over.
Wow. Paul Blart, Madea, who’s watching these movies?
Perry will continue to be successful mainly due to his low negative costs ($15-$20 million budgets,$20 or so on P&A). Most of his Non-Madea films break even at least, then profit heavily on video, along with 2 tv shows, i think he’s going to be around. Though i’m not a fan (and i’m also black, which shouldn’t make difference, but just to show that all black people aren’t fans of his, but my parents and the over 50 crowd LOVE him), I have alot of respect for him carving a niche’ for himself. Regardless of whether hollywood gives him respect or not, he earns it on the bottom line.
How long until Madea Saves Christmas?
Who the hell is seeing these horrible Tyler Perry movies?
I think it’s weekend speaks more to how little worthwhile came out this week, that people will see anything, no matter how terrible.
Let the man make his money! Good for him and God bless him. The people who are seeing these movies are the core of the new Amerika. The same people who have contributed to the mortgage crisis and the credit disaster. Google “Ninja Loan” and you’ll see who’s going to see these films. Embrace and unite. The fools who complain should have never given away their America, so I say good for Mr. Perry, make your dollars, stay non-union and retire a wealthy man. Leave the real filmmaking to the rest of us. Oh, and by the way, perhaps you can get Spike Lee a job as a first A.D. on your next “Madea Moves In To The White House”.
Keep it goin’ Bro’. Tap that dance. Yo.
i think his films are good
40mil opening? i hope he calls his next movie ‘Madea’s Financial Stimulus Package’
Good numbers, but no foreign revenues for his films. I presume.
“I think it’s weekend speaks more to how little worthwhile came out this week, that people will see anything, no matter how terrible.”
Lots “terrible” movies open throughout the year and score well at the box office. Tyler Perry movies are no different. We see quotes expressing shock, disgust, etc like that above most every year. People were shocked at how wel Diary of Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion, Why Did I Get Married, Meet the Browns did. They’re big openings and then settle down for a profitable (not 100m box mind you) return once box, home video and tv rights are factored in.
“Who” goes to see the torture porn movies? The family comedies? The action flicks? The chick flicks?
Members of the vieweing public that are voting with their wallet, not what some people refuse to accept. It’s one thing if you don’t personally care for a particular film maker or genre, but not to accept that some see value in their product shows a personal filter preventing one from understanding what some people like.
It is just so amusing to see a bunch of subtle racist caucasions talk shit about Tyler Perrys movies because of there superiority complexes.
How long until Madea Saves Christmas?
Don’t give him ideas…
But will Madea save Lions Gate from Icahn? I don’t think so….
40.5 million? The apocalypse is upon us.
Actually this movie was surprisingly funny better than her other films trust me watch it you will get some laughs in.
Did ANYONE foresee these incredible box office success stories amidst our worldwide economic collapse?? It doesn’t make any sense to me…
Maybe Madea should host the oscars? Tyler Perry did that for some black awards show a few years ago, he opened by having Madea portray famous scenes from black movies where Madea was the character, such as Madea as the Oprah Winfrey character in The Color Purple. It was actually hilarious. Sure I cringed when I first saw him. But, he is funny. And apparently this is the only way to get a black female on screen nowadays. Hollywood should embrace it’s racist-ness. It certainly doesn’t want to overcome it. After this years Oscars tanks in the ratings again, the academy will be forced to go after the black viewing public anyway because that will be the only ones left. That’s how small channels like FOX, CW, WB, Showtime increased their ratings. Then once they get the numbers back up, dump the blacks and go back to all white shows. The academy could stop pretending it cares about non-whites and continue to nominate actors in holocaust movies.It’s Not brain surgery.
I wonder how many people who claim the films are “terrible” have actually SEEN the films, or just label them that because of the idea that “if i’m not interested, then i’ll just trash it”. The reality is that the christian themes of his films is what keeps his audiences coming.
According to those commenters on the post below about the Oscars (that Drudge linked to), I guess we should nominate Paul Blart and Madea for Best Picture.
All Tyler perry’s are not horrible. The madea movies are based off his hit plays. The people who liked the plays will go see the movies that’s why the madea movies do good. I am not a fan of all his movies, but if you have never seen the plays or the movies and call them horrible just for the hell of it shut up and comment on something that you actually have seen.
I love Diary of a Mad Black Woman. I think Madea is awesome. I hope they keep making a lot of money and Perry keeps it coming.
Congrats to Tyler who realized that there is a market for nonsensical slapstick (with a fake undertone about “family & “church”). Didn’t realize that people loved drag so much.
While I respect Tyler Perry as a businessman (and, no, he shouldn’t be forced to join a union practically at gunpoint), I don’t respect the fact he’s refusing to progress in his talents. He just does the same old shit over and over again and eventually people will tire of it just as people tired of Woody Allen’s schtick before he switched gears with Match Point a few years ago.
For all the people who keep wondering who is seeing Madea…
The older black audience, especially female, had absolutely zero options for entertainment until Tyler Perry came along. I don’t like his stuff at all (I am 26) but my parents and grandparents have seen everything he’s ever done. They can admit that it’s not great, but who else is catering to older African-Americans?
They do exist in huge numbers and many of them are religious so they enjoy those themes and all of the “redemption” stuff.
I don’t think he is as big a threat as people make him out to be. There are many black indie filmmakers making great movies, people just have to seek them out. Of course it’d be nice if they got exposure like Perry but we all know Hollywood loves nothing more than blacks that perpetuate stereotypes.
Tyler has been able to give Hollywood everything it wants when it comes to black films. A built-in fan base, low productions costs, and solid returns. If a filmmaker who is more progressive can do the same thing he’d get just as much attention. But the truth is the progressive black community is too small to bring in $60 mil per flick.
who’s seeing tyler perry’s movies? older, mostly churchgoing african american women.