Box office report
“Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail”
“Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail” topped the weekend box office, opening with $41.1 million, according to the Associated Press.
It was the highest grossing film so far for Perry and film studio Lionsgate. Since 2005′s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” debuted with $30 million, the actor/director/producer’s movies have often opened strongly. However, they typically generate little mainstream buzz; of course, Perry doesn’t screen his films in advance for critics, so he doesn’t have the benefit of many reviews and preview features.
Perry’s box office clout has recently diminshed. But in “Madea Goes to Jail,” he reprises his cross-dressing role as the gun-toting granny character that is his trademark.
Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers, told the AP that Perry has “tapped into something here that is irresistible to moviegoers … Madea may have gone to jail, but Tyler Perry is going to the bank.”
The weekend’s other new release, the cheerleader/teen sex comedy “Fired Up!,” took in $6 million for ninth place on the list.
“Taken”
The thriller “Taken” moved into second place on the box-office charts. It earned $11.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its total to $95.2 million.
Last weekend’s top earner, the remake of the 1980 slasher flick ”Friday the 13th,” plummeted to No. 6. After earning $43.6 million its opening weekend, it took in $7.8 million in its second weekend.
The Oscar nominees for best picture saw an increase in sales as moviegoers flocked to theaters to see the honorees before Sunday night’s Academy Awards.
Best picture winner ”Slumdog Millionaire,” which added 610 theaters from its previous week, danced to an additional $8 million, taking its total to $98 million.
“The Reader” earned $2.8 million for a total of $23.2 million. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” made $1.3 million for a total of $124.2 million, leading the best picture nominees in box-office gross. ”Milk” made another $1.1 million for a $28.2 million total. “Frost/Nixon” earned $678,000 for a total of $17.4 million.
Overall box office performance continues to excel in 2009. Movies such as “Gran Torino,” “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and now “Madea Goes to Jail” have exceeded expectations.
The old idea that movie attendance increases when the economy hits hard times is proving true in 2009. The total gross of the weekend’s top 12 films was $119.8 million, an increase of 33 percent over the same weekend last year, according to the AP.
“This is the strongest box office start to the year that I’ve ever seen,” Dergarabedian told the AP. “This is the recessionary effect, funneling people that otherwise might be doing other things straight to movie theaters.”
Here is the top 10 list, from the AP:
1. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail,” $41.1 million.
2. “Taken,” $11.4 million.
3. “Coraline,” $11 million.
4. “He’s Just Not That Into You,” $8.5 million.
“Slumdog Millionaire”
5. “Slumdog Millionaire,” $8.1 million.
6. “Friday the 13th,” $7.8 million.
7. “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” $7 million.
8. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” $7 million.
9. “Fired Up,” $6 million.
10. “The International,” $4.5 million.
-BAM
Monday Catchy Quote
A catchy quote from a movie, TV show or other source to brighten the beginning of your week:
Wyatt: Gary?… By the way, why are we wearing bras on our heads?
Gary: Ceremonial.
- Click here to learn the source.
- BAM
Video: Weekend Look Sneak Peek
Entertainment Editor Gene Triplett, Assistant Features Editor Matt Price and I talk about the stories coming up in this Friday’s Weekend Look in this week’s Sneak Peek video.
The big story this week will be Matt’s feature on Jackie Earle Haley, who plays Rorschach in the upcoming film version of “Watchmen.” Matt attended the film junket in Los Angeles, and he’ll be bringing many stories on the anticipated film in the coming days.
Also in this week’s Weekend Look, you’ll find my feature on Nicolas D’Agosto, star of “Fired Up!,” and Gene’s story on Denton, Texas, band Brave Combo.
-BAM
Video: Oscar fashion
Oklahoma designer Kayne Gillaspie and NewsOK TV host Angi Bruss discuss Sunday night’s Oscar fashions.
-BAM
Entertainment Insider: Reviewing the 2009 Oscars
The Oklahoman‘s entertainment staff – Gene Triplett, George Lang, Matthew Price and I – review the 2009 Academy Awards in this week’s Entertainment Insider video.
Or you can read our thoughts on the show by clicking here.
-BAM
Indians celebrate Oscar success for “Slumdog”
Children of the slum where “Slumdog Millionaire” actor Rubina Ali lives sing the Oscar winning song “Jai Ho” from the film in Mumbai, India. (All photos by the Associated Press)
The success of the rags-to-riches tale “Slumdog Millionaire” at Sunday night’s Oscars was cause for Bollywood-style dancing in the streets of Mumbai, according to this Associated Press story.
Two of the child actors in “Slumdog” were plucked from a slum on the outskirts of Mumbai to star in the film, which won eight Academy Awards, including best picture.
Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, 10, and Rubina Ali, 9, were flown to Los Angeles for the ceremony, and took the stage with the rest of the cast and crew when the film was named best picture.
“Slumdog Millionaire” cast member Rubiana Ali, 9, sticks her tongue out at fellow cast member Dev Patel at the official Oscar After Party for Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Wrestler.”
“Slumdog Millionaire” cast member Rubiana Ali, 9, holds director Danny Boyle’s Oscar for best director.
Rubina Ali’s family watches the Oscars on TV in their home, in a slum in Bandra, suburban Mumbai, India.
The “Slumdog” cast on the red carpet.
The family of “Slumdog” composer A.R. Rahman cheers for his two Oscar wins from Chennai, India.
School students wearing masks of A.R. Rahman stand around his poster as they celebrate after Rahman won two Oscars, in Chennai, India.
-BAM
Photo gallery: 2009 Oscars ceremony
Hugh Jackman serenades Kate Winslet during the opening number of Sunday night’s Academy Awards. (All photos by the Associated Press)
Jackman scoops up Anne Hathaway to help him with the opener.
Jackman and Hathaway act out a scene from “Frost/Nixon” to open the show.
Past supporting actress winners Eva Marie Saint, from left, Whoopi Goldberg, Tilda Swinton, Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston present the Oscar for best supporting actress.
Penelope Cruz kisses her best supporting actress Oscar backstage.
Photo gallery: 2009 Oscars red carpet
Shawnee native Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who were both nominated for Oscars, walk the red carpet before the Oscar’s Sunday night. (All photos Associated Press)
Jolie greets best actor nominee Mickey Rourke with a kiss.
The Oscar-nominated actresses from “Doubt,” from left, Amy Adams, Meryl Streep and Viola Davis, pose together.
Supporting actress nominee Taraji P. Henson, middle, brought her mother and grandmother to the ceremony.
Best actress nominee Anne Hathaway looked elegant in her long shimmering gown.
What to do in Oklahoma on Feb. 23
Slipknot
Today’s featured event:
TULSA – Hear nu-metal band Slipknot, along with Coheed and Cambria and Trivium at 7 p.m. at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver.
For more information, go to www.bokcenter.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
2009 Oscars roundup: “Slumdog” emerges as big winner
“Slumdog Millionaire”
The rags-to-riches movie “Slumdog Millionaire” won eight Academy Awards tonight, including best picture and best director. It was nominated for 10 Oscars.
- Here is the list of honors for Danny Boyle’s uplifting tale of a poor Mumbai orphan who wins big on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”:
Best picture
Best director, Danny Boyle
Best adapted screenplay, Simon Beaufoy
Best cinematography, Anthony Dod Mantle
Best film editing, Chris Dickens
Best original score, A.R. Rahman
Best original song, “Jai Ho,” music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar
Best sound mixing, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” starring Brad Pitt as a man who ages backward, went into the ceremony with a leading 13 nominations. It won three Oscars, all for the film’s remarkable technical achievements:
Best visual effects, Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
Best makeup, Greg Cannom
Best art direction, Donald Graham Burt; set decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
“Milk”
- “Milk,” the biography of gay activist Harvey Milk, won two awards:
Best actor, Sean Penn
Best original screenplay, Dustin Lance Black
“The Dark Knight”
- “The Dark Knight,” the “Batman Begins” sequel that was the year’s biggest blockbuster, also won two Oscars:
Best supporting actor, the late Heath Ledger
Best sound editing, Richard King
Here are the films that won a single Oscar:
- “The Reader,” Stephen Daldry’s film about a German woman put on trial years later as a Nazi war criminal won Kate Winslet her first Oscar, for best actress.
- Penelope Cruz won best supporting actress for Woody Allen’s Spanish love square “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”
- Pixar’s “WALL-E” earned best animated feature.
- The period film “The Duchess” won best costume design.
“Man on Wire”
- The excellent “Man on Wire” received best documentary feature.
- “Smile Pinki” won best documentary short subject.
- The Japanese film “Departures” was named best foreign language film.
- Another Japanese production, “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” won best animated short film.
- “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” earned best live-action short film.
- BAM
