Madea Cleans Up @ The Box Office

Tyler Perry is always where the money is at:

Tyler Perry’s “Madea Goes to Jail” racked up at the weekend box office
, opening with $41.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Madea Goes To Jail,” Perry’s first film starring the pistol holding grandma since “Madea’s Family Reunion,” became the director’s highest grossing film beating the $30 million grossing “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”.

According to published reports, Perry’s box office clout has lessened recently, but the success of “Madea Goes to Jail” reinforces the notion that Perry draws the largest audience when he dons a frumpy dress as his trademark grandmother character, Madea.

Steve Rothenberg, president of distribution at Lionsgate said the debut of “Madea” was the studio’s best opening in its 14-year history. The studio’s previous top opening was the $33.6 million debut of 2006’s “Saw III.”

“You could argue that Madea is now the top female box office star in Hollywood,” said Rothenberg, whose studio has distributed all seven of Perry’s films, several of which were released straight to DVD. “The character is one of the great screen creations of the last decade.”

Here a trailer for the movie:

Tyler Perry Offers J Hud & Rhi Rhi Support!

Tyler Perry comments on the recent situations troubling Jennifer Hudson:

Jennifer Hudson has returned to the spotlight in recent weeks, but she is still mourning the loss of her loved ones — including her late brother, Jason, who would have celebrated his 30th birthday on Tuesday. “It’s a very difficult time for her. Her brother’s birthday was yesterday,” Tyler Perry told Usmagazine.com on Wednesday. Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were killed in Chicago last fall, and the filmmaker believes that Hudson — who has made her first public appearances since their deaths this month — will continue to rise above the tragedy. “What I know about her, is her faith will clearly help her to rebound,” he tells Us. “As you can see on the Grammys, it was a faith moment for her that made her be emotional. But she’s doing well.”

Then he spoke about Rihanna:

Tyler Perry and singer Monica are both offering to console Rihanna and Chris Brown as they deal with the impact of the Feb. 8 attack that left her bruised and bloodied and him posting $50,000 bail. “I’d love to talk to both of them and give my advice on either side of it, being a child who is a product of that kind of abuse,” Tyler, who saw them at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party just before the incident, tells OK! at his Madea Goes to Jail premiere held Wednesday in NYC. What advice would he give them?

“As they walk through this thing, leave everybody else out and figure out what it is,” the one-man entertainment machine tells OK!.