Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry, who often appears in drag as the gun-toting grandmother Madea in his movies, will adapt the 1975 groundbreaking play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf" for the big screen. Perry will produce, write and direct the film for Lionsgate, which plans to release the movie next year. The Obie-winning play by Ntozake Shange is structured as a series of poems spoken by female characters, addressing issues of love, abandonment, rape and abortion.

The box office for the 2013 Easter weekend was carried on the brawny shoulders of Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" handily won the weekend with a three-day gross of $41.2 million and a total four-day take of $51.7 million, according to an estimate from distributor Paramount Pictures. Also aiding the weekend's totals was the animated family-friendly film "The Croods," from Dreamworks Animation, which pulled in $26.5 million in its second weekend in release.

This week I was asked to speak at an evening program at a local temple on the ever-popular topic of "Jews in Hollywood." I brought along a true Hollywood Jew, Sony Pictures' Amy Pascal, who spoke quite eloquently and insightfully about her faith and how it's sometimes tested by her job.

Say what you want about the man and his films, but Tyler Perry is nothing if not unshakably Tyler Perry. The air of self-assurance bordering on arrogance that wafts from movie after movie as he confidently delivers his specific blend of light comedy and heavy dramatic moralizing can be strangely admirable. If only all of us could know what we do so clearly. In his latest film, whose full title is (deep breath) "Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor," he adapts his own stage play to the screen.

Tyler Perry's sitcom "For Better or Worse" is moving from TBS to OWN this fall. The move extends the growing relationship between the actor/director and OWN, the cable channel owned by Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications. Perry signed a deal to create two new sitcoms for OWN last year. " 'For Better or Worse' is a great addition to our growing lineup of scripted programming from Tyler," said OWN President Erik Logan in a statement. The move of "For Better or Worse" from TBS to OWN officially ends Perry's long-standing relationship with the Time Warner subsidiary.

Aaron McGruder of "The Boondocks" and Tyler Perry of "Meet the Browns" and TBS' "House of Payne" are unlikely allies, but they have a common link. Both are the key creative forces behind some of Turner Broadcasting's popular hits. Still, executives for the broadcaster, which owns both TBS and the Cartoon Network (home to "Boondocks"), might be wise not to sit the two men together at the same table during the next company picnic. The latest episode of "The Boondocks," the satirical animated TV series that airs on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim slate, takes brutal aim at Perry and his brand, which blends melodrama, raucous comedy and religious themes.

"Alex Cross," the new action thriller starring Tyler Perry not in drag, makes one thing perfectly clear - no one had better cross Cross. Sure he may be a respected homicide detective and a psychologist to boot, which can make for one cool customer. But he also has a really bad temper, really big guns and really bad dialogue. He will use all of them excessively if pushed. And pushed he is in this out-of-control roller coaster ride through the very tiny world of Detroit's 1%, a group that has become the target of a serial sniper just as it was about to turn Motor City into a modern high-rise mecca.

Tyler Perry was feeling bad Wednesday - as a person should after hurting a close friend. In this case, the friend was Oprah Winfrey, and the harm was far from intentional. "I FEEL SO BAD," the actor-director-writer-producer-whatever wrote on his Facebook page. "I like to send really large flower arrangements to people for whatever occasion," he explained. "Well, I sent one to Oprah yesterday for her birthday. She strained her back picking it up. No joke!" Tyler Perry broke Oprah!

OWN announced Monday an exclusive partnership with Tyler Perry, which includes two new scripted series for the network that would premiere in mid-2013. The deal would make the Oprah Winfrey Network the “singular destination” for any new television series or projects from the multi-hyphenate Hollywood mogul. It also marks OWN's first foray into original scripted series as the network eases into a groove after a wobbly start. News of this new venture comes as the network has seen some improvement--with the help of interviews featuring Rihanna and the Kardashian family.

Perry wedded to success Tyler Perry is doing just fine without 3-D, thank you. The writer, director and producer's latest effort, "Why Did I Get Married Too?," took in a most impressive $30.1 million in its first weekend. The sequel to his 2007 hit "Why Did I Get Married?" not only beat the opening of that movie by almost $10 million, but it was also Perry's biggest start for a movie that didn't feature his Madea character. With nine hits in the last five years, none of this should come as a surprise.

This post has been corrected. See note below for details. Renée Taylor is a very funny lady known for such comedic roles as Eva Braun in Mel Brooks' 1968 classic "The Producers," Fran Drescher's ultimate Jewish mother on "The Nanny" and Brian Benben's ultimate Jewish mother on HBO's "Dream On. " But her career didn't start out that way. FOR THE RECORD: Renee Taylor: A profile of actress Renee Taylor in the March 27...

Fashion designer John Varvatos has tapped rockers Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (yes, of Aerosmith fame) to perform at his annual Stuart House benefit, scheduled to take place Sunday in front of his West Hollywood boutique. This year will mark the 10th that the fashion designer has thrown his support -- and leveraged his considerable connections -- on behalf of Stuart House, a UCLA rape treatment center program that helps sexually abused children. A live musical set is a traditional highlight of the event; past performers that include k.d. lang  (2011)

Tyler Perry's sitcom "For Better or Worse" is moving from TBS to OWN this fall. The move extends the growing relationship between the actor/director and OWN, the cable channel owned by Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications. Perry signed a deal to create two new sitcoms for OWN last year. " 'For Better or Worse' is a great addition to our growing lineup of scripted programming from Tyler," said OWN President Erik Logan in a statement. The move of "For Better or Worse" from TBS to OWN officially ends Perry's long-standing relationship with the Time Warner subsidiary.

Tyler Perry was feeling bad Wednesday - as a person should after hurting a close friend. In this case, the friend was Oprah Winfrey, and the harm was far from intentional. "I FEEL SO BAD," the actor-director-writer-producer-whatever wrote on his Facebook page. "I like to send really large flower arrangements to people for whatever occasion," he explained. "Well, I sent one to Oprah yesterday for her birthday. She strained her back picking it up. No joke!" Tyler Perry broke Oprah!

Actor and writer Tyler Perry has sold his tricked-out home in the celebrity-studded Bird Streets area of Hollywood Hills West for $11.25 million, public records show. The impeccably decorated 9,725-square-foot contemporary features a glass-floor catwalk that serves as the ceiling of the wine cellar, a window in the billiards room that looks into the water of the swimming pool, a nightclub/lounge with a bar and a disco ball, a gym, four fireplaces, four bedrooms, six bathrooms and a sauna.

"Alex Cross," Tyler Perry's box-office flub this weekend, is, in many ways, easy to explain. The typical audience for Perry's household "Madea" movies is older women. The typical audience for a detective procedural is older men. When you try to get the latter to see a star who appeals to the former, it doesn't work. The movie grossed $11.8 million, Perry's lowest opening total in the dozen films he's made as an actor. What it doesn't explain is how so many other actors have been able to redefine their base in a way that seems to elude Perry.

Say what you want about the man and his films, but Tyler Perry is nothing if not unshakably Tyler Perry. The air of self-assurance bordering on arrogance that wafts from movie after movie as he confidently delivers his specific blend of light comedy and heavy dramatic moralizing can be strangely admirable. If only all of us could know what we do so clearly. In his latest film, whose full title is (deep breath) "Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor," he adapts his own stage play to the screen.

Lionsgate has renewed its movie and home entertainment agreement with its most prolific supplier, filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry. The new contract keeps Perry, whose films such as "Madea Goes to Jail" and "Why Did I Get Married?" are hugely popular with African American women, in business with the Santa Monica studio for three more years. Over the last six years, Lionsgate has released 10 movies produced by Perry. Since his debut in 2005 with "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," Perry's films have grossed an average of $52 million domestically, although they typically take in very little overseas.

With "Paranormal Activity 4" expected to dominate the box office this weekend, Tyler Perry may be haunted by his decision to star in "Alex Cross. " The fourth installment in the popular horror franchise will easily claim No. 1, debuting with around $50 million, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys. That figure includes ticket sales from the film's debut at 9 p.m. Thursday on about 3,000 screens. Paramount Pictures, which is distributing "Paranormal Activity 4," is projecting a softer wide opening of  $35 million to $40 million -- though that would still be enough to win the weekend race.

"Alex Cross," the new action thriller starring Tyler Perry not in drag, makes one thing perfectly clear - no one had better cross Cross. Sure he may be a respected homicide detective and a psychologist to boot, which can make for one cool customer. But he also has a really bad temper, really big guns and really bad dialogue. He will use all of them excessively if pushed. And pushed he is in this out-of-control roller coaster ride through the very tiny world of Detroit's 1%, a group that has become the target of a serial sniper just as it was about to turn Motor City into a modern high-rise mecca.