News

Award-winning filmmaker Tyler Perry continues his knack for making thrillers as one of his upcoming projects lands a release window on Prime Video. Perry's next movie, Duplicity, shares its first trailer to build anticipation before its spring premiere.

Prime Video confirmed the R-rated Duplicity will debut on Mar. 20. The film is directed, written and executive produced by Perry and stars The Vampire Diaries actor Kat Graham, who portrayed Bonnie Bennett in the acclaimed supernatural teen drama. Graham stars alongside Batwoman's Meagan Tandy, The Oval's Joshua Adeyeye and Baggage Claim's Tyler Lepley. Perry produced the film alongside Angi Bones (Blade) and Will Areu (A Madea Family Funeral).

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The Vampire Diaries is home to many great love triangles, but one of the most powerful was also integral to the series.

Duplicity chronicles Graham's main character, Marley Wells, a high-powered attorney who faces her most personal case yet,...

Amazon MGM Studios has revealed the official trailer and poster for Tyler Perry’s Duplicity, which will begin streaming on Prime Video on March 20, 2025.

In Tyler Perry’s Duplicity, high-powered attorney Marley (Kat Graham) faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the shooting of her best friend Fela’s (Meagan Tandy) husband (Joshua Adeyeye).

With the help of her boyfriend (Tyler Lepley) – a former cop turned private investigator – Marley’s search for what really happened leads her down a treacherous maze of deception and betrayal.

Tyler Perry’s Duplicity is produced, directed and written by Tyler Perry.

The cast includes Kat Graham, Meagan Tandy, Tyler Lepley, RonReaco Lee, Joshua Adeyeye, Nick Barrotta, Jimi Stanton and Shannon Lanier (God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness).

Angi Bones and Will Areu also serve as producers. With a runtime of 109 minutes, the drama has been...

Critics have never been especially reliable supporters of Tyler Perry. The creator of the comedic Madea franchise, Perry began his career as a relatively unknown playwright. After adapting one of his plays, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, he rocketed into mainstream success and quickly became a prominent figure within Hollywood. He has since contributed to dozens of movies and TV shows as an actor, creator, director, writer, or producer. Perry's work has proven divisive, as many of his lowest-rated movies on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer have impressed audiences:

Title

Tomatometer Score

Popcornmeter Score

Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)

16%

86%

Madea's Witness Protection (2012)

19%

66%

Alex Cross (2012)

11%

47%

The Single Moms Club (2014)

19%

58%

Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)

19%

52%

Brain on Fire (2016)

13%

67%

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)

5%

41%

Acrimony (2018)

19%

65%

A Madea Family Funeral (2019)

11%

31%

A Fall From Grace (2020)

15%

50%

Divorce in the Black (2024)

0%

73%

Mea Culpa (2024)

18%

37%

While audiences were still disappointed in some of those lower-rated movies, they were considerably happier than the critics were.

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of January titles. The Tubi January 2025 slate features new Tubi Originals, TV series, and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of exclusive Originals, and nearly 250 live channels.

You can watch the Tubi January 2025 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals...

Tyler Perry's new movie Divorce in the Black has received a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is the filmmaker's lowest ever, and the worst since 2017's box office flop Boo 2! A Madea Halloween. Critics are lambasting the movie for

Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black has broken a major Rotten Tomatoes record for the filmmaker. Perry is a prolific playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor who is best known for the Madea movies, in which he stars in drag as the title character, the loving but tough matriarch of a sprawling family. He frequently plays a variety of other characters opposite Madea, though his movies also typically boast vast ensemble casts of notable actors such as Taraji P. Henson, Loretta Devine, Shemar Moore, Cicely Tyson, Keke Palmer, Viola Davis, and more.

Tyler Perry movies have tended to be critically divisive, though quite a few of them have made...

It’s unsurprising that Adam Sandler’s “Spaceman” is an immediate #1 for Netflix, but you have to wonder if the Sandler audience knew what it was getting: It’s the story of a long-distance solo astronaut who encounters loneliness and a mutant spider on his journey to Venus. Directed by Johan Renck, who won a DGA Award for his direction of HBO miniseries “Chernobyl,” it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Reviews are mediocre and, per Netflix practice, it had token one-week showings in limited theaters. “Spaceman: debuted on the streamer March 1 and it will be interesting to see what kind of hold it maintains. For now, it’s another example of how Sandler uses his Netflix deal to expand his scope. (The film was produced by Channing Tatum’s Free Association.)

The film costars Carey Mulligan, currently a Best Actress Oscar nominee for another Netflix original, “Maestro.

A Madea Family Funeral has an 11% critics score and 31% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, resulting in a "rotten" label. Viewers found the plot predictable, with reused jokes, inconsistent characters, flat tone, and bad dialogue. Despite flaws, the film is worth watching for fans of Tyler Perry's comedy style and the Madea franchise.

A Madea Family Funeral is part of Tyler Perry’s Madea cinematic universe, and as such, it might not be a comedy for everyone. Tyler Perry is best known for his work as a comedy actor and director, all thanks to his Madea movie series. Madea is Perry’s most famous character, who made her big screen debut in 2005 in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Since then, Madea has been the star of 11 movies and had a cameo in the 2008 comedy Meet the Browns. In 2019, Perry brought A Madea Family Funeral, the last film from the...

A big-budget series adaptation of a best-selling sci-fi epic, a new season of an acquired Peacock gem, a spinoff series of a Guy Ritchie crime feature, the return of one of the world’s most grueling reality competition shows, Millie Bobby Brown finding herself in all sorts of bother and Adam Sandler getting serious in a space drama are among the standout films and series hitting Netflix in March.

Funnyman Sandler is deathly serious in Johan Renck’s Spaceman, Netflix’s big feature release this month that debuts on March 1. The film, an adaptation of Jaroslav Kalfar’s novel Spaceman of Bohemia, sees Sandler play a Czech astronaut sent to the farthest reaches of space, just as his personal life is falling to pieces. Sandler’s character must keep his sanity and his only supposed company is a giant alien arachnid. The film, which premiered out of competition at the Berlin Film Festival,...

Tyler Perry's Mea Culpa is a hit on Netflix despite abysmal reviews, proving his draw to audiences. Mea Culpa falls into the popular thriller genre on Netflix, attracting viewers with fast-paced entertainment. Critic scores for Mea Culpa reflect harsh judgments on script issues, yet it still entertains.

Tyler Perry's latest film, Mea Culpa, is a massive hit on Netflix despite its abysmal reviews on various sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. Tyler Perry is one of the most unique 21st-century filmmakers, primarily running his own operation as the director, writer, producer, and star of various movies, TV shows, and plays, generally centered around his character, "Madea." Perry has established his brand for over thirty years, with films and shows grossing over $660 million, even though many have been critically shunned.

Perry's Mea Culpa was released on Netflix on February 23, 2024, and has since received a 4.1/10 on IMDb and a 21% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Mea Culpa broke Tyler Perry's promising Rotten Tomatoes streak, marking a step back for the filmmaker. A Madea Family Funeral and A Jazzman's Blues improved Perry's scores prior to Mea Culpa's disappointment. Perry's next film, Six Triple Eight, offers redemption with a diverse cast and unique World War II story.

Tyler Perry’s movies are a hit or miss with critics, and his latest Netflix project has now destroyed his most optimistic Rotten Tomatoes streak that had been building up in the last five years. Tyler Perry’s career began as a theater actor in the 1990s, and he made his big screen debut in 2005 in the rom-com Diary of a Mad Black Woman, written by him and where he played his most famous character, Madea, as well as her brother Joe and his son, Brian. Perry’s directorial debut arrived the following year with Made’s Family Reunion,...

All titles below begin streaming for free on January 1 unless otherwise noted:

Originals

Action

Prepare To Die

– 1/13-

A young man trains in the ways of martial arts to seek vengeance on the corrupt landowner who murdered his family.

Documentary

Vice News Presents: Epstein Didn’T Kill Himself

-1/17-

How the mysteries surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s life and death gave rise to a conspiracy theory that will never die.

Gone Before His Time: Kobe Bryant

-1/26-

Recount the achievements – some personal, some professional, and many halted – of an NBA legend before his untimely death.

TMZ No Bs: Hollywood’S Dumbest Moments

-1/31-

Join TMZ as they examine baffling & cringe worthy celebrity moments – Hollywood stars aren’t always the sharpest tools in the shed.

Horror

Where The Devil Roams

-1/5-

A family of murderous sideshow performers traverse the harsh conditions of Depression-era America in a bloody deal with the Devil.

How to Get Away with Murder alum Rome Flynn joins Chicago Fire season 12 as a new character with a dark past. Flynn's character, Jake Gibson, is a quietly confident former amateur boxer who gains attention for a heroic act. Flynn will make his debut in the second episode of the upcoming season, with the potential for his recurring guest spot to expand.

Chicago Fire season 12 adds a new character that's played by a familiar face. The long-running first responder drama has seen a string of recent cast changes ahead of its return to NBC. After a brief absence, Taylor Kinney is set to return to the One Chicago franchise as Kelly Severide. Meanwhile, Kara Killmer's exit from her role as Sylvie Brett was announced in November. Alberto Rosende, who plays Brett Galo, was the next to confirm his departure in what he described as a difficult decision.

In...

Tyler Perry's Madea movies have become an important fixture in popular culture, striking a nerve with audiences and tackling deeper issues. Madea is often the standout character, stealing the show with her bombastic personality and hard edge. Each Madea movie is unique, offering a careful dissection of themes such as class, infidelity, and family dynamics beneath its surface of simple comedy.

Tyler Perry's Madea movies have jumped from the stage to the screen and become an important fixture in modern popular culture. The debut of the character came in the 1999 play I Can Do Bad All by Myself, with Perry originating the role alongside his usual writing, directing, and producing duties. It wouldn't be long before the character arrived on the big screen, and 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman introduced Madea and Perry to the world at large. Beloved for her bombastic personality and hard edge, Madea...

After getting into business with Amazon Studios, Tyler Perry has unveiled his first project as part a four-movie deal with the streaming giant.

The film, Black, White & Blue, is written, directed and produced by Perry and stars Kat Graham, Tyler Lepley, Meagan Tandy, Josh Adeyeye, RonReaco Lee, Jimi Stanton, Shannon Lanier and Nick Barrotta.

Black, White & Blue will follow Fela Blackburn as her life is shattered when she loses her husband, Rodney Blackburn, at the hands of a police officer. Determined to get to the bottom of the incident and seek justice, she leans on her best friend, Marley Wells, who is a lawyer, and her husband, Tony Wells, who is a former cop turned private investigator.

Fela attempts to use their influence to find the truth, only to learn her entire world is rooted in lies and betrayal.

Perry’s pact with Amazon, unveiled in November 2022, will see all...

Tyler Perry‘s most famous character, Madea, has appeared in nearly half the director’s films: a gun-toting, “Hallelu-yer”-shouting force of nature, and an outrageous drag tribute to his mother and aunt. But some films in the Madea Cinematic Universe are gleefully manic, while others arrive in what appears to be a half-finished state of sad melodrama and mediocrity. Not counting her cameo appearance in the otherwise Madea-free “Meet the Browns,” or the animated kids offering “Madea’s Tough Love,” here’s where to find maximum Madea mayhem:

10. “Madea’s Witness Protection”

To look at box office receipts, this one would appear to have been a fan favorite, the second-highest-grossing Madea movie to date. But it came along at a time when Perry was making minor noise about retiring the character, and it really shows. The film looks cheap even by Perry’s budget-minded standards, the jokes are flat, and...

Eighteen years ago, Tyler Perry brought his DIY play to the big screen. Released in 2005, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” chronicles one beleaguered woman’s journey to healing and self-discovery after being betrayed by her philandering husband. The film features all the classical elements of Perry productions. It’s set in a predominantly Black area of the South, there are theatrical church scenes and plenty of the over-the-top histrionics extracted straight from his plays. But more importantly, there was Madea.

Played by Perry himself, the matriarch emerged as a rambunctious, pistol-packing matriarch who’s as comfortable espousing quirky wisdom as she is ferocious clapbacks. Upon its release, the flick got mixed reviews from critics — but it grossed $50.7 million at the box office, just about 10-times more than its budget. Since then, Perry’s released nine additional Madea films, with the eight that came out in theaters grossing $570 million at the box office,...

Omari Hardwick (Army of the Dead), Kelly Rowland (American Soul) and Rome Flynn (How to Get Away with Murder) have signed on to star alongside Marsai Martin in Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films’ upcoming feature Fantasy Football. The film directed by NAACP Image Award winner Anton Cropper (Black-ish) has entered production in Atlanta and will debut exclusively on Paramount+ later this year.

Fantasy Football follows 16-year-old Callie Coleman (Martin), who discovers that she can control her professional football player dad Bobby Coleman’s (Hardwick) prowess on the field through EA Sports’ Madden NFL. Rowland is playing Callie’s mother, Keisha Coleman, with Flynn portraying Bobby’s rookie archival, Anderson Fisher. Elijah Richardson, Hanani Taylor, Abigail Killmeier, Tyla Harris, Isac Ivan and Tony Gonzalez will round out the cast.

John Madden Dies: NFL Coach, Longtime Broadcaster & Video Game Namesake Was 85

Fantasy Football is the third film to enter production under Awesomeness and...

How old is Tyler Perry’s spitfire matron Madea? Her age isn’t specified (I’d say she’s in her mid-70s), but whatever it is she’s that many years young. She has a sneaky-dog irascibility that won’t quit. And Tyler Perry can’t quit her. He had hinted that “A Madea Family Funeral,” in 2019, might be the last Madea outing. But the pandemic changed his mind. I say that with or without it, Perry would have returned to Madea, because she’s more than his greatest hit — she’s his unleashed id, the character he’s addicted to playing because she expresses so many of his angels and demons.

Of course, she’s also an eternal crowd-pleaser. The first Tyler Perry movie, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” (which included an appearance by Madea), was released 17 years ago today. At the time, he’d already been doing Madea onstage for years.

The world just can’t quit Madea, and neither can b. After originally announcing his intention to retire the character in 2019’s A Madea Family Funeral, Perry got an offer he couldn’t refuse from Netflix, and he decided that the old lady still had plenty of life left in her. The result is the new film, […]

The post Bringing Madea Back, Tyler Perry Tells Us Why She’s Still Successful appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

In 2019, Tyler Perry was ready to say goodbye to his iconic character Madea after the release of “A Madea Family Funeral.” But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the next year, Perry realized that people needed some joy in their lives.

“There is just so much going on in the country right now with all the social and civil unrest and I wanted to do this movie to make people laugh,” Perry told Variety. “We all just need some laughter and I can’t wait for audiences globally to discover Madea for the first time.”

Perry celebrated the premiere of “A Madea Homecoming,” the latest Madea film and the first to premiere on Netflix, at L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Joining him were the cast of the family comedy, including Brendan O’Carroll, Brandon Black, Isha Blaaker, Jennifer Gibney, Candace Maxwell, Amani Atkinson and Geneva Maccarone.

“A Madea Homecoming...

Tyler Perry’s previous Madea movies have raked in more than $600 million at the box office. But a theatrical debut for “A Madea Homecoming,” which launches Feb. 25 on Netflix, was never part of his conversation with the company.

“I didn’t even think about it. They’re a streaming service, and I understand the importance of making content in support of that,” Perry tells Variety, noting that he released “Madea’s Farewell Play,” a filmed version of the stage show, on BET Plus when launching the streamer with ViacomCBS in 2019.

Despite skipping the megaplex this time, Perry is still a believer in the theatrical experience.

“There will be some slight changes or some erosion, but some movies and experiences are meant to be enjoyed in a room full of people on a huge screen, and not on the computer or television,” he says. “My hope is that theaters and theater chains...

When it comes to comedies, Hollywood has mostly written off the movie genre as fodder for streaming services. And, maybe it’s for good reason. Since big-screen funny films like “The Hangover” trilogy, “Step Brothers” and “Anchorman” hit their zenith in the 2000s, straight comedies have mostly fallen out of favor with ticket buyers.

But every so often, there’s a big, loud exception that bucks Hollywood’s conventional wisdom; in this instance, the idea that comedies should only be relegated to Netflix and its ilk. That was the case over the weekend as Paramount’s over-the-top slapstick jamboree “Jackass Forever,” the fourth film in the long-running franchise, debuted at the top of domestic box office charts with a better-than-expected $23.5 million. At the same time, director Roland Emmerich’s big-budget science-fiction spectacle “Moonfall” crash-landed with a disappointing $10 million.

Of course, a single film, especially one with a built-in fanbase that...

Today marks the start of Black History Month, with the broadcast and cable networks and streamers planning a slew of TV series, movies, news programming, documentaries, specials and more to roll out over the course of February to celebrate, educate and entertain.

Deadline has compiled a list of programming highlights that touches on some of the myriad ways outlets are commemorating the occasion, from live coverage of the NAACP Image Awards on BET to the documentary series Lincoln’s Dilemma on Apple TV+ and everything in between.

Check out below for some of the content (all times Et) and keep checking back as we add to the list.

ABC News/ABC

ABC News is presenting two primetime specials February 3 from its Soul of a Nation series. Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising, explores how Black actresses, a historically overlooked and under-valued group in Hollywood,...

America’s favorite grandmother Mabel “Madea” Simmons is back and badder than ever — meaning she’s still “braless and lawless.” Netflix dropped the trailer Wednesday for Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Homecoming,” the 12th installment in the iconic franchise.

“Black don’t crack… unless you’re using it,” Madea says in the trailer for the film, which will center around her great-grandson’s college graduation, where hidden secrets and family drama threaten to ruin the celebratory reunion. The movie streams on Feb. 25.

Perry — who has been playing Madea since 1999, when he first debuted the character in his play, “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” — was planning to retire his gray wig after 2019’s “A Madea Family Funeral” and his 2020 live “Farewell Play Tour,” but changed his mind after the pandemic hit.

He told Variety in 2020, “I was done with Madea, completely done with it … But as I’ve been...

BET is expanding its Tyler Perry originals slate with the greenlight of Zatima, a spinoff series of Sistas, on BET+. The 10-episode hour-long series comes from Tyler Perry Studios and will see Devale Ellis and Crystal Renee Hayslett reprise their roles as Zac and Fatima, respectively.

Zatima will follow the two Sistas characters as they navigate the ups and downs of their relationship. The upcoming series marks the second spinoff from a Perry linear BET series to get a green light by BET+ following The Oval‘s offshoot Ruthless. Perry will executive produce, direct and write the series, which started production at Tyler Perry Studios this week and is slated for a 2022 premiere on BET+.

“We are continuing to strengthen our investment in quality programming, and our partnership with Tyler Perry has a proven track record of super-serving our audience,” said BET’s President and CEO, Scott Mills. “We look...

We haven't seen the last of Madea after all. After starring in eleven movies as the mature woman starting with 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Tyler Perry seemingly announced his retirement from playing Madea upon the release of A Madea Family Funeral in 2019. That seemed to be the end of the road for the career-defining character at the time, but now it seems that Netflix made Perry an offer that he couldn't refuse.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Perry has signed a deal with Netflix to bring back Madea one more time for the new planned sequel called A Madea Homecoming. The new movie will serve as the 12th installment of the Madea movie series and it's planned for a release on the streamer in 2022. Word is the drama will also be shot at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, similar to most other projects taken on by the filmmaker.

Say Hallelujer, Madea fans! Tyler Perry is bringing back his most beloved character for an all-new adventure on Netflix.

Perry will write, direct and star in the film, donning Madea’s dress, wig and devil-may-care attitude one more time. Perry retired Mabel “Madea” Simmons in 2020 with the sold-out “Madea’s Farewell Tour” (which was also filmed for BET plus), while the character’s final film appearance came in 2019’s “A Madea Family Funeral,” where Perry ostensibly closed the casket on the character.

Perry has been quietly developing the project since last fall.

“I was done with Madea, completely done with it,” Perry told Variety, when he was honored as 2020’s Showman of the Year. “But as I’ve been looking at the state of the world — and I finished a tour in January, just before the pandemic started to break in the country — and the amount of joy and laughter...

Tyler Perry’s Madea is back! Perry is bringing his beloved character back to life, and this time, they’re heading to Netflix.

Perry will write, direct and star in “A Madea Homecoming,” which will be the ninth “Madea” film and the 12th time he will have portrayed the iconic old lady on screen. The news comes after Perry had said in 2018 that he intended to kill off Madea once and for all and end the franchise with 2019’s “A Madea Family Funeral.”

“It’s time for me to kill that old bitch. I’m tired,” he told Sirius Xm at the time. “I just don’t want to be her age playing her.”

The films have been box office boons for Lionsgate for over a decade, and all of Perry’s films, including the “Madea” series, have collectively made over $1 billion at the domestic box office — so this is a big get for Netflix.

Allow her to reintroduce herself: Mabel, a series exploring the untold origins of Tyler Perry‘s Madea character, is being developed at Showtime, our sister site Deadline reports.

“Every great story has to start somewhere and every legend has a beginning,” reads the series’ official logline. “Long before she was the force of nature known as Madea she was a smart, fierce, irresistible, dangerous, crazy 20-something black woman named…Mabel Simmons. When she moved to Atlanta in 1972 she set the city – and the world – on fire!”

More from TVLineThe Oval's Kron Moore Reveals the Scene That Caused Her to Have...

Tyler Perry is developing a prequel series about his popular Madea character with Showtime. The series, titled “Mabel,” would follow the early years of the character when she was in her 20s.

Showtime has ordered multiple scripts of the potential series, which Perry is co-creating with Tim Palen. JaNeika James and JaSheika James will write the script and executive produce. It is being developed as a one-hour drama.

Here is the official description of the series: “Long before she was the force of nature known as Madea, she was a smart, fierce, irresistible, dangerous, crazy 20-something black woman named Mabel Simmons. When she moved to Atlanta in 1972 she set the city — and the world — on fire.”

The character, played by Perry, has appeared in nine films, beginning with 2005’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” The most recent film was 2019’s “A Madea Family Funeral.” Perry first developed the character...

Tyler Perry is developing a drama prequel series about the early life of his iconic character Madea for Showtime, Variety has learned.

Showtime has ordered multiple scripts for the projects, which is titled “Mabel.” Per the official description of the project, long before she was the force of nature known as Madea she was a smart, fierce, irresistible, dangerous, crazy 20-something black woman named Mabel Simmons. When she moved to Atlanta in 1972 she set the city – and the world – on fire.

Perry and Tim Palen are the creators and executive producers of “Mabel,” with JaNeika James and JaSheika James attached to write and executive produce.

Perry is one of the most prolific and powerful creators working in entertainment today with a long list of film and TV projects to his name, both in front of and behind the camera. The Madea character originated onstage during his time as a playwright before he came to Hollywood.

Lionsgate said Friday that it has finalized a reorganization of its Motion Picture Group, with chairman Joe Drake aligning the division into four key verticals — Marketing, Distribution, Strategy and Innovation, and Content — and setting the executives to oversee each.

The newly solidified teams will oversee each project throughout its evolution and lifecycle from development or acquisition to release, downstream and library ancillaries.

With the revamp, Jen Hollingsworth will remain as the group’s COO and expand her oversight to lead Strategy and Innovation team. Ron Schwartz, who as been president of Worldwide Home Entertainment since 2014, will expand his role to lead Worldwide Distribution for all Mpg content. Damon Wolf will grow his Global Marketing and Communications oversight to include all platforms and digital content releases along with theatrical and digital releases through the home entertainment window.

Drake will continue to lead the Content vertical. Nathan Kahane (Production), Jason Constantine (Global Acquisitions) and Jenefer Brown continue in their roles.

“Since returning to Lionsgate three years ago, my focus and mandate has been reimagining the Motion Picture Group as a place for Artists to thrive,” Drake said in a release announcing the move. Strengthening our company for the realities of a rapidly shifting marketplace has been priority one. That transformation began well before this year, but the pandemic has accelerated these changes and spurred us to adapt and enhance our flexibility. It was essential that we rebuild our operations with a forward-thinking lens. We have the best executive team in the business and we’re collaborating with the best storytellers in the world. I am confident our Motion Picture Group will meet the the unique challenges of the industry today with the innovation, creativity, resolve and resilience that I know is the hallmark characteristic of every Lionsgate employee I am privileged to work with.”

The restructure had been the in works since May, well before the Global Motion Picture Group had to cut 15% of its workforce ahead of it quarterly earnings call last month. They followed layoffs in marketing and distribution in March soon after cinemas closed around the world because of the pandemic.

“Through these changes, our core business remains the same: we are premium content creators and providers working with the world’s best artists who want to see their films presented on the big screen. Lionsgate remains committed to the theatrical experience. Equally, we are also in the unique position to be able to quickly serve consumers changing viewing habits during this time where innovation and flexibility must be embraced. Optionality and consumer preference are critical as fans seek entertainment where they want and how they want and these factors must be our true north star,” Drake said today. “By streamlining and consolidating our operations, we are taking full advantage of our assets, staff, library, and our portfolio, so we are more competitive today, tomorrow, and into the future.”

Lionsgate most recently shifted again the release date for its YA sci-fi adventure Chaos Walking, which will now be released in theaters nationwide and in Imax on March 5 — from its previous January 22 date. Next up for the studio is today’s theatrical and Premium VOD release of Fatale, the the Deon Taylor-directed psychological thriller starring Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy.

During the quarter that ended in November Lionsgate’s motion picture revenues fell to $257 million from $405 million due to theatre closings. That was partially offset by the performance of titles in the PVOD market and digital home entertainment. Segment profit, however, surged 63% to $83 million on strong demand for library content and lower distribution and marketing costs.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer, in comments on that earnings call, said the feature film business “saw a massive imbalance between content supply and demand” and the studio responded by greenlighting eight films since May.

Last year, Lionsgate saw three movies open to No. 1 including John Wick: Chapter 3, Angel Has Fallen and Midway, and it also saw some profitable hits in Knives Out and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral. It has had to retrench in 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions.

On the day of its earnings call, Lionsgate has made the tough decision to cut 15% of its Global Motion Picture Group workforce. Joe Drake, chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, just revealed the bad news to employees and you can read his memo below.

The cuts announced Thursday follow those that hit marketing and distribution last March soon after cinemas closed around the world, forcing Lionsgate’s theatrical releases to either be delayedon the calendar to 2021 (Spiral) or segue into the home on PVOD. They also sold domestic rights to the Sarah Paulson thriller Run to Hulu.

Since Drake’s return to the studio 36 months ago, Lionsgate has been strategically reimagining the Motion Picture Group to meet the challenge of viewers’ changing viewing habits. The plan is to combine like-minded business units across marketing, distribution, content and business strategy to create a streamlined business that is...

Former heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson is getting ready for his big comeback fight. Against a shark. Discovery has announced that Tyson vs. Jaws: Rumble on the Reef will help kick off the 2020 edition of Shark Week. While this may sound like a joke, the network has even released a brief teaser to prove that this is, in fact, very real.

The teaser shows Mike Tyson training on the beach. Running, punching surfboards in half and blowing up beach toys. We don't see any of the alleged man vs. shark action, but Tyson does look to be in fighting shape again. Some videos of the boxer training recently made the rounds online, which led to speculation that he may be getting ready for a comeback fight. Though it would have been hard to predict this. Tyson had this to say about it.

"I took on this challenger to...

The 40th Annual Razzie Award winners were announced on Monday, March 16 — two days after they were originally scheduled to be announced — so which film won Worst Picture: “Cats,” “The Fanatic,” “The Haunting of Sharon Tate,” “A Madea Family Funeral” or “Rambo: Last Blood”? Scroll down to see the complete list of winners, and watch the announcement above.

The musical “Cats” was adapted by Oscar winner Tom Hooper from the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, but its visuals creeped out critics and scared away audiences. It earned a leading nine nominations at this event: Worst Picture, Worst Director (Hooper), Worst Actress (Francesca Hayward), Worst Supporting Actress (Judi Dench and Rebel Wilson), Worst Supporting Actor (James Corden), Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Combo (for any two half-feline/half-human hairballs) and Worst Screen Combo again (for Jason Derulo and his CGI neutered bulge).

SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today

“Madea” and “Rambo” followed close behind with eight nominations,...

“Tonight’s live Razzie ceremony had to be cancelled/postponed because the Mayor of Los Angeles shut down all city-owned venues where more than 50 people could gather, including our site, The Barnsdall Theatre,” said Razzie Awards founder John Wilson in a statement to the press on Saturday, March 14. Events all across the globe have been cancelled and postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic. But perhaps all is not lost.

“Without a hall, we could not proceed with the show,” he added, “but we are hoping to have a video to disseminate by tonight – perhaps even by what had been our original ‘curtain time’ of 8pm, Obviously, if there is no live show, there is nothing to be streamed, either … Under these circumstances, your patience and understanding are much appreciated.”

SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today

The Razzies are the latest on a long list of events to be...

The Razzie Awards ceremony, the Golden Raspberry Foundation’s annual skewering of the worst in cinema, was scheduled for tonight at the Barnsdall Theatre in Los Angeles. But the event is either “cancelled/postponed,” according to a statement from the producers.

The reason? “Because the Mayor of Los Angeles shut down all city-owned venues where more than 50 people could gather, including our site, The Barnsdall Theatre,” said the statement from John Wilson, co-founder of the awards. “Without a hall, we could not proceed with the show. But we are hoping to have something to disseminate by tonight – Perhaps even by what had been our original “curtain time” of 8 p.m. tonight. Obviously, if there is no live show, there is nothing to be streamed, either.”

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“Cats” will sweep the 2020 Razzie Awards. That’s according to the combined predictions of well over 1,000 Gold Derby users who have placed their bets here in our predictions center. But it won’t quite be a clean sweep. Scroll down for our complete forecasts in all 11 categories, listed in order of their racetrack odds (our projected winners are highlighted in gold).

SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today

The feline musical, based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage production, was not greeted nearly as well on the big screen as it was on Broadway, where it won seven Tonys including Best Musical for its original run. Despite its strong pedigree (including direction by “The King’s Speech” Oscar winner Tom Hooper), the film’s unsettling character design was greeted with bafflement at the first sign of the trailer, and then the film was released in December to negative reviews and poor box office.

“Cats” looks like it’ll dominate the Razzie Awards this weekend, but there’s one category where it will probably be mercifully passed over: Worst Actress. The movie musical’s leading lady, newcomer Francesca Hayward, will be spared the ignominy of a win at these kudos. According to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users, Hilary Duff will win for playing the title role in “The Haunting of Sharon Tate” instead.

SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today

As of this writing Duff gets leading odds of 17/5 for playing the real-life film actress, who was the victim of a horrific murder by the Manson Family in 1969. That shocking crime was also the subject of an Oscar-winning film this year, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” but this take was met with almost universal derision, scoring 8 out of 100 on MetaCritic and 19% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes for what Rt describes as an...

Adam Sandler had major Oscar buzz for his role as a gambling addict spiraling out of control in “Uncut Gems,” winning an Independent Spirit Award and earning nominations from the Critics’ Choice and Gotham Awards, among other plaudits. Now he has a chance to win again at the infamous kudos that have honored him the most: the Razzies, where he’s currently up for the Redeemer Award.

The Redeemer Award was created by the Razzies in 2014 to honor an industry figure who came back from Razzie-winning bombs to achieve critical and industry acclaim. To date it has been awarded to Ben Affleck for his one-two punch of “Argo” and “Gone Girl” (2014), Sylvester Stallone for his Oscar-nominated comeback in “Creed” (2015), Mel Gibson for directing the Oscar-nominated “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016) and Melissa McCarthy for her Oscar-nominated performance in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” (2018).

SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today

In 2017, in the wake of the #MeToo movement,...

Will Tyler Perry win his third Worst Actress Razzie Award for playing his signature role as Madea in “A Madea Family Funeral”? It was purported to be the final Madea movie, so perhaps the Razzies will want to send him out with a bang — or with a bomb, as it were. But might it also be time to retire the Razzies trend of nominating male actors for female roles?

Perry is certainly not the only male performer who has been nominated across gender categories for playing a role in drag. Adam Sandler won Worst Actor and Worst Actress for playing twin siblings in “Jack and Jill” (2011), and the Razzies have also nominated Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Martin Lawrence in this category for female characters.

SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today

But Perry is the only man who has won it twice, for “A Madea Christmas” (2013) and “Boo 2! A Madea Halloween...

On Friday, Chris Stapleton gave a performance in Nashville that received a whole arena’s worth of hallelujers. The singer was in attendance at Tyler Perry’s Madea Farewell Tour stop in Nashville when he surprised the crowd by standing up and giving a brief rendition of his signature song “Tennessee Whiskey.”

Perry’s play, which was the first ever staged at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, centers on his popular character Madea, a no-nonsense, elderly African-American woman whom Perry has portrayed in several movies since the early 2000s. Perry announced...

Show business sure is fickle. Four years ago Sylvester Stallone won the Redeemer Award from the Razzies for his Oscar-nominated performance in “Creed,” but now he’s back on their hit list, nominated for Worst Actor and Worst Screenplay for “Rambo: Last Blood.” He could extend an unfortunate record if he wins again.

To date, Stallone has won Worst Actor four times, more than anyone else: “Rhinestone” (1984); “Rambo: First Blood Part II” and “Rocky IV” (1985); “Rambo III” (1988); and “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot” (1992). And that doesn’t even count his “victories” for Worst Actor of the 1980s and Worst Actor of the 20th Century. He also has the most Worst Actor nominations of all time (15) — basically he’s the Meryl Streep of the Razzies.

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He redeemed Rocky Balboa with “Creed” after the Razzies had singled him out for the fourth and fifth “Rocky” movies,...

Now that the Oscars are all over and done with, and the best of the best have now been honored, it is time to turn to the awards ceremony for the worst of the worst: The Razzies. Well, the nominations are now in and the likes of Cats, Rambo: Last Blood and A Medea Family Funeral take the lead for the 2020 Golden Raspberry Awards.

The much-maligned cinematic adaptation of the musical Cats has garnered a total of nine Razzie nominations, securing a nod in every major category apart from Worst Actor and Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel. Star Rebel Wilson though has been nominated for both Worst Actress and Worst Supporting Actress for her work in The Hustle and Cats, respectively. Hopefully, she has a sense of humor about it.

Rambo: Last Blood is right behind Cats with a total of eight nominations, which continues the long-running tradition of The Razzies dishonoring Sylvester Stallone.

The Razzie nominations are out and Cats, A Madea Family Funeral, and Rambo: Last Blood cleaned up.

The Golden Raspberry Foundation announced its picks for 2019’s worst achievements in film, a day before the Academy Awards honor the industry’s best.

Cats, which the Razzie folks described as a “widely derided feline flop,” picked up eight nods. A Madea Family Funeral and Rambo: Last Blood also received eight nominations. All three films landed in the worst picture category.

Tyler Perry, who wrote, produced, directed and played four roles in A Madea Family Funeral, received multiple nods — worst screenplay, worst actress, worst screen combo, and two worst supporting actor nominations.

The Razzie Award winners are usually announced the day before the Oscars. But according to the Golden Raspberry Foundation, the schedule was changed this year due to the Oscar ceremony being moved up. The Razzie Awards date will be announced later.

Since the Academy Awards are taking place this weekend, honoring the best achievements in film, it’s time for the Golden Raspberry Awards to announce who is in the running for worst movies and performances of the year. The Razzies, as they’re known, aren’t as fun as they used to be, and they often take aim […]

The post 2020 Razzies Nominations: ‘Cats’, ‘A Madea Family Funeral’, and ‘Rambo: Last Blood’ Lead the Pack appeared first on /Film.

Although shunned by the Oscars, Cats racked up eight nominations to lead the 2020 Golden Raspberry Awards, a.k.a. the Razzies, the annual celebration of Hollywood’s worst.

The big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical, a box office and critical disaster, earned nods for Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Francesca Hayward), Worst Supporting Actress (both Judi Dench and Rebel WIlson), Worst Supporting Actor (James Corden), Worst Screen Combo (for “Any Two Half-Feline/Half-Human Hairball” plus Jason Derulo and “his CGI-neutered bulge”), Worst Director (Tom Hooper) and Worst Screenplay. Taylor Swift and Idris Elba escaped unscathed.

You knew this was coming. The 40th annual Golden Raspberry Awards dishonored the cinematic feline felony known as”Cats” with eight nominations, including one for no less than Dame Judi Dench herself. In fact, the organization even felt the need to describe her Old Deuteronomy as looking suspiciously similar to the Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz.” Somewhere, Bert Lahr is crying.

But incredibly, there were two other 2019 releases that proved egregious enough to also be pelted with eight nominations: Sylvester Stallone‘s “Rambo: Last Blood” and Tyler Perry‘s 12th and purportedly last appearance in a wig and dress, “A Medea Family Funeral.”

As per usual, the competitors for disgraced excellence were announced on the eve of the Academy Awards, which airs live on ABC on Sunday. The cheeky Razzies also had the nerve to slap around two other Oscars winners besides Dame Judi: Anne Hathaway, up for both “The Hustle” and “Serenity,...

Tom Hooper’s movie musical “Cats,” Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo: Last Blood,” and Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Family Funeral” topped this year’s nominations list for the worst movies and performances of 2019, scoring eight nominations a piece.

Other “honorees” on this year’s list include the remake of “Hellboy” starring David Harbour, John Travolta in the thriller “The Fanatic” and the James Franco-directed period drama “Zeroville.”

The Razzies are now in their 40th year, and the group typically announces its nominees a day ahead of the Oscar nominations. But with the Oscars moving to its earliest date ever, it also pushed back the Razzies, which are only just announcing the nominees list. The awards ceremony for the winners will be announced at a later date.

Also Read: John Travolta Gives 'Cringe-Worthy' Performance in 'The Fanatic' as Borderline Autistic Character, Critics Say

This year the organization accompanied its nominees with a video sketch,...

Just a day before Hollywood celebrates the best films of the past year at the 2020 Oscars, the nominees for some of the past year's worst films, the 2020 Golden Raspberry Awards, aka the Razzies, have been unveiled.

Three films tied for the most Razzie nominations. Cats, A Madea Family Funeral and Rambo: Last Blood each received eight nods, all three getting mentions for worst picture, supporting actress, screen combo and screenplay.

Rambo: Last Blood, "assaulting to the senses/insulting to the intelligence," according to Razzie organizers, will compete for worst picture alongside Cats, A Madea Family Funeral,...