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Tyler Perry reaches movie deal with studio
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The relentless entertainment juggernaut that is Atlanta’s Tyler Perry looks like he’ll be staying every bit as relentless for the next few years. He’s signed a new movie distribution deal with Lionsgate, the studio that he has made hundreds of millions of dollars for (and a few for himself), according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The deal covers three movies after the two that are already in the works with Perry and Lionsgate. “The Family That Preys” is a drama (including an interracial romance) that was shot in metro Atlanta earlier this year, with Alfre Woodard, Kathy Bates, Sanaa Lathan, Rockmond Dunbar and Perry in a non-Madea role. It’s set for release Sept. 12, and the trailer is up on Perry’s Web site, www.tylerperry.com.
After that comes “Madea Goes to Jail,” one of the last of his plays where Perry appeared live onstage at the Fox Theatre, and which is definitely not a drama. It’s set for spring 2009.
The TV series “House of Payne” and Tyler Perry Studios are chugging along just fine as well.
FINDING RIGHT GIFT FOR RICH 18-YEAR-OLD
What do you buy an 18-year-old who can already afford to buy out the Gucci store? (Or at least that’s what it looked like at the most recent BET Awards). Well, MTV viewers will find out as the cameras are in town Monday to shoot rapper Soulja Boy’s 18th birthday party. Buzz caught up with local music power Michael “Mr. Collipark” Crooms before his discovery’s big day and asked what he was getting the record-breakinging iTunes artist. “You know, you kind of have to be careful about the material things,” said Crooms, sounding like the husband and father he is. “That’s kind of unhealthy. Plus he’s got everything — he’s got a Hummer. He’s living good; on the road all of the time. So I’m just going to try and make sure he has a good time at his party. I mean, it’ll be on MTV. We hired somebody to really do it right [MVD Inc.] out of New York. Because if it were really up to me, the party would be at my house.”
Instead, the celebration hosted by V-103’s Greg Street will be at an undisclosed mansion in Conyers — “so far out I was trying to call the person I was following [to the location], to curse him out, but my phone wasn’t working out there,” Crooms said with a laugh.
And ummmm, again, what is he getting Soulja Boy? “Well he’s not getting ready to get a Lamborghini from me, I can tell you that. He asked me for something a while back. He probably forgot he even asked. And the funny thing is, he could buy it for himself — easy. I guess maybe he couldn’t see himself doing it. So I probably will. Obviously, I haven’t gotten his present yet.”
FILM WITH ATLANTA TIES WINS BIG
“Delgo,” an animated fantasy movie with the voices of Jennifer Love Hewitt, the late Anne Bancroft, Val Kilmer, Eric Idle, Lou Gossett Jr., Kelly Ripa, Burt Reynolds and Freddie Prinze Jr., has won the Best Animated Feature Award at the Anima Mundi Film Festival in Brazil. And why is that in Buzz? Because the movie was made by Fathom Studios right here in Atlanta. No word yet on a release date; that’s coming, say the Fathom folks.
LUCINDA WILLIAMS FEELS THE HEAT
Atlanta’s heat and technical problems took Lucinda Williams’ “Joy” Friday night while performing at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Three songs into her concert, the Grammy-winning folk-rock singer halted the show because of glaring stagelights.
“It’s not a [expletive] light show,” she announced into her microphone, directing technical crew to remove the heat light, err, spotlight from her face. Concertgoers filling the garden’s Great Lawn didn’t seem to mind her mood, even when several songs later she stopped the show again because of the sound system, this time announcing she was “as sober as a [expletive] judge” and that she’d have to hold a free concert to make up for what she felt was a lackluster performance. (Buzz is pretty sure she’s kidding about that free show.)
Williams later rallied, ending the show with a rousing “Get Right With God,” and drawing laughter from the crowd when she said Southerners have more soul than the rest of the country. They’d have to, she said, to deal with Atlanta’s heat.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actor Darryl Hickman is 77. Keyboardist Rick Wright of Pink Floyd is 65. Cartoonist Jim Davis (“Garfield”) is 63. Actress Linda Kelsey (“Lou Grant”) is 62. Actress Sally Struthers is 60. Actress Georgia Engel is 60. Drummer Simon Kirke of Bad Company is 59. Guitarist Steve Morse of Deep Purple is 54. Actor Michael Hayden (“Murder One”) is 45. Actress Elizabeth Berkley (“Showgirls,” “Saved by the Bell”) is 36. Singer Afroman is 34. Drummer Todd Anderson of Heartland is 33. Singer Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach is 32.
Contributing: Katie Leslie, Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
Comments
By jiimiona
August 9, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this
Viva La Evolucion ;)