‘Jonas Brothers 3-D’ Goes From Phenom To Just Concert Pic; ‘Madea’ #1 Again

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday February 28, 2009 @ 11:01pm PST

SUNDAY AM: The bottom dropped out of Disney’s Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience to Hollywood’s immense surprise. What were weekend predictions of as much as $30 million and even $40 million had to be revised down, down, down as it opened to $4.8M Friday and then $4.7M Saturday for only a $12.7M weekend with Sunday’s estimate of $3M. “Concert pics usually look better on paper than they actually are because the fans drive tracking but it doesn’t go beyond fans,” one marketing guru told me. Of course, you have to remember that it’s playing in just 1,271 3-D theaters, and even so it was the 2nd highest grossing concert pic of all time with a big per screen average of $9,992. ”Many had unrealistic expectations for this pic. But they forget the coup that Disney pulled off on Hannah Montana 3-D,” a rival studio exec told me. That’s because the latter was a “one week lock” engagement. (They held it over, of course). But Disney really created a sense of urgency among moviegoers to see that 3-D event which shocked Hollywood with a $32.1M opening. This time around, Disney’s marketing gimmick was to send out the Jonas Brothers on surprise personal appearances.

The weekend started out promisingly for the pic with MovieTickets reporting 700+ sold-out screenings hours before it opened at midnight Thursday. But advance ticket sales weren’t anywhere near the level of pre-sales for Hannah Montana. Then again, Miley Cyrus is the star of her own Disney show whereas the Jonas Brothers’  series won’t begin to air until summer. Still, they were nominated for a Grammy for New Artist, and Disney Records is simultaneously releasing a soundtrack of the film.

So Tyler Perry’s controversial (for its racial stereotyping) Madea Goes To Jail grabbed the No. 1 slot with a solid per screen average of $8,041. Twentieth Century Fox’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li debuted stillborn in 1,136 venues, and The Weinstein Co’s specialty film Crossing Over starring Harrison Ford opened with a heft pe screen average in 9 dates. Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight’s Slumdog Millionaire got an Oscars bump after adding 700 runs. And 20th Century Fox’s thriller Taken is now the 2nd January opening to cross the magic $100M mark because of its tremendous hold.

It’s looking like an $80+M weekend, about equal to last year.

Weekend Top 10
1. Madea Goes To Jail (Lionsgate) [2,052 Thtrs] $16.5M Wkd (-60%), Cume $64.8M
2. Jonas Brothers: 3-D Concert Experience (Disney) [1,271] OPENER $12.7 Wkd
3. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) [2,943] $12.1M Wkd, Cume $115.1M
4. Taken (20th Century Fox) [3,089] $9.9 Wkd, Cume $107.8M
5. He’s Just Not That Into You (NL/Warner Bros) [2,858] $5.8M Wkd, Cume $78.5M
6. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Columbia/Sony) [2,698] $5.6M Wkd, Cume $128.1M
7. Coraline 3-D (Focus Features) [2,063] $5.2M Wkd, Cume $61.1M
8. Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun Li (Fox) [1,136] OPENER $4.6M Wkd
9. Confessions Of A Shopaholic (Disney) [2,534] $4.4M Wkd, Cume $33.6M
10. Fired Up (Sony) [1,811] $3.8M (-31%) Wkd, Cume $10.1M

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WGA Strike One Year Later: David

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday February 28, 2009 @ 9:42pm PST

Marjorie David is a seasoned television writer and executive producer (Wildfire), and co-executive producer (Life, Dark Angel, Chicago Hope). She volunteered to serve as a Contract Captain for the WGA’s Contract 2007 Campaign. She is a member of the working board of the League Of Hollywood Women Writers.

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WGA Strike One Year Later: Gable

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday February 28, 2009 @ 2:57pm PST

Ashley Gable is co-executive producer of The Mentalist and has been supervising producer on Crossing Jordan, and co-producer on The Division. A former attorney, and a working writer for 10+ years, she was a picket coordinator at Fox during the WGA strike. Last year, she ran for the WGA’s board Read More »

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AMPAS Gets Punk’d By Iran Government

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday February 28, 2009 @ 2:07pm PST

According to a report from the French news service Agence France Press (AFP), advisors to Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged a visiting Hollywood delegation to apologize for “insults and slanders” about Iranians in films. “(Iranian) cinema officials will only have the right to have official sessions with… Hollywood movie makers … Read More »

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WGA Strike One Year Later: Rodman

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday February 28, 2009 @ 1:11pm PST

Howard Rodman is professor and former chair of the writing division at the USC School of Cinematic Arts; a member of the board of directors of the Writers Guild of America, West; and an artistic director of the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Labs. His films include Savage Grace, … Read More »

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Sumner Can Now Breath Sigh Of Relief

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 7:39pm PST

I go out for a while and Redstone finally restructures his massive $1.5 billion debt. The announcement came this afternoon that his National Amusements will have a repayment extension to December 31st, 2010 with certain repayments coming in 2009 and 2010. The good news for Sumner is that he won’t … Read More »

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Endeavor’s Leanne Coronel Now Manager

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 4:17pm PST

After 12 years at Endeavor, she’s starting her own management and production company and repping her clients Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, Trust Me), Robert Patrick (The Unit), and Chuck’s Zachary Levi — all formerly managed by her friend (and accident victim) Joan Hyler – Chuck‘s Zachary Levi, Jonathan Slavin (Better Off Read More »

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This Email Is Making The IATSE Rounds

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 3:59pm PST

FILM CREW WANTED:
“New Media” production company seeks crew for experimental project. Applicants must be able to create, research, write, coordinate, production design, art direct, construct, paint, dress & decorate sets, location manage, assist direct, design/tailor/supply costumes, do hair & make-up, shoot, operate, focus,

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WGA Sets Record Straight On Its Strike: “We Achieved Most Important Objectives”

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 1:12pm PST

The Writers Guild Of America, West, just issued this statement to answer “the concerted effort underway by the AMPTP and some in the press to minimize the success of our strike” which officially ended with the ratiication of the proposed Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement on February 26, 2008. In … Read More »

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Sir Howard Stringer Shakes Up Sony

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 11:18am PST

No, it doesn’t affect Sony Pictures Entertainment. But now parent company Sony will form two new business groups: the Networked Products & Services Group, which will include Sony Computer Entertainment, as well as its PC and mobile devices businesses; and the New Consumer Products Group, which will include televisions, digital … Read More »

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AMPTP’s Nick Counter Retires March 31; Carol Lombardini Will Be Interim Prez

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 10:21am PST

SAG negotiators have been telling me for months that Nick Counter has looked increasingly unwell, and Carol Lombardini (who joined the AMPTP 30 years ago when he did) has taken the lead position in that union’s negotiations. What’s surprising here is the implication that Lombardini isn’t being considered for Counter’s job … Read More »

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NBC: Ben Silverman Gifts Teri Weinberg

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 10:11am PST

I often refer to Ben Silverman as “the gift that keeps on giving” because he provides me with so much material to deservedly humiliate him. And now he’s living up to that moniker. So where can you fail at your … Read More »

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State Your Literary Intentions, CAA

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 9:36am PST

Let me put it this way: when I spoke to CAA about what’s new the other day, the agency never even bothered to mention it hired former POM book agent Simon Green to bring in publishing projects for its existing clients along thelines of the book deal he made for the … Read More »

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UPDATE: That WMA/Endeavor Merger

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 9:15am PST

FRIDAY AM: There’s been a lot of news coming in to me about the progress of a WMA/Endeavor merger. Some sources are saying there’ll be a WMA board meeting soon to discuss it. Others tell me that the tax consequences are looking difficult to overcome. It al has to do with LLC and ”S” corporations, … Read More »

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Advisory: Q-&-A About DHD

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 8:54am PST

Q-&-A with me about DHD by the well-thought-of website, IWantMedia.com, run by Patrick Phillips, an adjunct professor in the NYU journalism department.

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Top Executive Exits Tribeca Film Festival

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 8:15am PST

Tribeca Film Festival today announced that Peter Scarlet has stepped down from his position as Artistic Director of the Festival, effective immediately, after 7 years.

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2ND UPDATE: It’s A Jonas Brothers World: Midnight Frenzy For Their 3D Concert Film

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday February 27, 2009 @ 7:30am PST

SUNDAY AM: The bottom dropped out of Disney’s Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience to Hollywood’s immense surprise. What were weekend predictions of as much as $30 million and even $40 million had to … Read More »

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MPTF UPDATE: Oscars Protest Video; Katzenberg’s Talking Points; $20M Consulting Fees For Closing Hospital?

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday February 26, 2009 @ 8:57pm PST

About 300 people showed up for the protest on the other side of the street from where Saturday’s “The Night Before” fundraiser for the Motion Picture & Television Fund was being held at the Beverly Hills hotel. While Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Douglas gave TV interviews at the hotel with a pre-arranged list of … Read More »

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Wheelchair Protest At AMPAS Over Jerry

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Thursday February 26, 2009 @ 3:49pm PST

This didn’t get any publicity on Oscars Sunday. But, at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, people in wheelchairs were lined up outside to protest that evening’s bestowing of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Jerry Lewis because they object to the way he talks about “the cripples” during publicity for his … Read More »

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