Jonas Brothers No Match for Tyler Perry

Published by Jeff Leins on: March 1st, 2009

Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail reaffirmed its number one status at the box office by fending off the hottest boy band in the world, the Jonas brothers.

Last week’s winner added another $16.5 million to its total, already becoming the highest grossing movie for the successful, multi-hyphenated writer-director-producer-actor Tyler Perry.  The third rehash of his stage play and direct-to-video script has earned $64.9 million total.  I can’t wait for Madea Goes to Jail 3-D in a few years.  Neither can the 70% African-American female audiences who show up for this kind of movie.

Speaking of three dimensions, not enough people joined in the Disney’s Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience to give it the weekend crown.  It debuted in twice the theaters of last year’s record-breaking Miley Cyrus concert film, but earned less than half of her opening with just $12.7 million.  This is far less than what experts had predicted for the Jonas trio.  (Disney is pointing out it is still the second-highest opening for a concert film.)

The other new wide release performed as expected though.  Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li bombed with $4.7 million in eighth place.  It’s a terrible start even for a video game adaptation and is lower than the original Street Fighter movie’s opening fifteen years ago.  Everyone but Fox saw this disaster coming, and now it’s the worst reviewed film (zero positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes) and worst wide opening of 2009 so far.

Slumdog Millionaire received the biggest Oscar bump in over a decade, rocketing to its highest chart position at third with $12.2 million.  The little indie that could picked up “Best Picture” and “Best Director” at the Academy Awards ceremony a week ago.  After four months in theaters it has grossed $115.1 million.

Next weekend Watchmen will dwarf the competition, but by how much? What are your predictions?

3-Day weekend estimates:
1. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail $16.5 million
2. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience $12.7 million
3. Slumdog Millionaire $12.2 million
4. Taken $10 million
5. He’s Just Not That Into You $5.9 million
6. Paul Blart: Mall Cop $5.6 million
7. Coraline $5.3 million
8. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li $4.7 million
9. Confessions of a Shopaholic $4.5 million
10. Fired Up $3.8 million