Tyler Perry

"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.

After the coffee. Before finding out why I didn't get asked to host the Oscars. The Skinny: I went to the launch party for Time Warner Cable's new Los Angeles sports channels Monday night. Appropriately enough, the song I heard while walking down the red carpet into the event was Aloe Blacc's "I Need a Dollar. " Actually, the subscription fee is almost $4. Tuesday's headlines include reaction to the choice of Seth MacFarlane to host the Oscars and Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey's new partnership.

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.

Tyler Perry's new exclusive deal to create programming for Oprah Winfrey's OWN means he is shelving his ambitions to launch his own cable network. Perry had been toying with the idea of creating his own network and even had talks with Lionsgate and One Equity Partners, the co-owners of the TV Guide Channel. The plan under discussion would have had TV Guide becoming a platform for Perry and there was even a name - Tyler TV - being floated. However, that plan is now off the table, people close to the matter said.

Fire hit Tyler Perry's studio in southwest Atlanta on Monday, the second time a blaze has erupted at the entertainment complex this year. A representative for the filmmaker described the new fire as "small," and said it was put out with a fire extinguisher. "The Atlanta Fire Dept. responded within minutes and all is fine," Perry's spokesperson wrote in an email, adding that no filming was taking place when the fire occurred. The Atlanta Fire Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Actor and model William Levy brought his Gorgeous Man Routine to Glendale earlier this week to play bartender to a lucky few folks. The third-place “Dancing With the Stars” alum, who was recently named People en Español's “sexiest man of the year” and is sometimes referred to as the Latino Brad Pitt, made a SoCal stop Monday to greet fans, flex his biceps, serve new limited-release, fruit-flavored Pepsi Next sodas and generally exist...

'Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection' MPAA rating: PG-13 for some crude sexual remarks and brief drug references Running time: 1 hour, 54 minutes Playing: In general release

When "Madea's Witness Protection" opens this weekend, Hollywood observers may think they know exactly what to expect. The film is the 13th released by Lionsgate and written, produced, directed by and/or starring Tyler Perry, and the seventh featuring his trademark cross-dressing Madea character. But "Witness Protection" marks a first: Never before has a Tyler Perry movie been released during the high-stakes summer movie season, which is traditionally packed with big-budget tent poles.

If it hadn't been for famed Kansas City Chiefs football coach Hank Stram, John Amos may never had a four-decade long career in Hollywood, including memorable acting roles in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Good Times" and "Roots. " A running back at Colorado State, Amos had tried out unsuccessfully for the Denver Broncos and was cut twice from the Chiefs. Stram, recalled the 72-year-old Amos, told him, "Young man, you are not a football player. You are a young man who happens to be playing football.