SUBMITTED BY Kit-Kat

February 24, 2006 — Brian Fusion from the Hollywood Reporter states "While the opening of Lionsgate's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" caught the industry off guard a year ago when it debuted with a sterling $21.9 million from just 1,483 theaters, a surprising upset is not in the works with its follow-up film. Industry observers agree that "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion" from Lionsgate should easily be the No. 1 film this weekend. "Diary," written by and starring Tyler Perry and based on his play, flew below the boxoffice radar of most observers last year. The Darren Grant-helmed film was projected to gross in the $10 million range during its opening session, with Sony Pictures' "Hitch" looking to take first place for the third consecutive weekend. But "Diary" ended up in the top spot with more than $20 million, left theaters with $50.4 million and later racked up huge video/DVD sales. The popularity of the first film, coupled with the mainstream exposure from its success and sales in ancillary markets, has raised the awareness of Perry's Madea character and broadened the potential audience for the "Family Reunion." It also will have the advantage of being in 711 more theaters than "Diary," with 2,194 venues booked this weekend. Most industry observers believe that "Family Reunion" should open better than "Diary," the only question is how much better. "