Critically speaking, 2011 may have been Adam Sandler‘s worst year ever.  His two main vehicles, Just Go With It and Jack & Jill, were panned.  As a producer, his name is also on Zookeeper and (most damningly) Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star.  The Razzies recognized his efforts with a record 11 nominations.  For those keeping track, this shatters the record set by Eddie Murphy and his 5 nominations for Norbit in 2007.  New Year’s Eve, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 join Jack & Jill and Bucky Larson as the 5 contenders for Worst Picture.  Hit the jump for the full list.

On Easter weekend the animated hit Rio managed to hold on to its number one perch for a second weekend in a row with an estimated $26.8 million.  The padding between Fox’s birds and the Tyler Perry’s bawd was pretty slim, however.  In second place Madea’s Big Happy Family was right behind Rio with an estimated $25.8 million.

Next month, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal, and 20th Century Fox are set to launch “Home Premiere”, a premium VOD service that will offer movies for home viewing only two months after their theatrical debut.  Variety reports that movies on the service will cost up to $30 for a two-to-three day viewing period and the service will launch exclusively on DirecTV.  Certain cable companies will introduce Home Premiere to certain cities for an undisclosed period of time around the end of April.

Warner Bros. plans to launch with Unknown while Sony’s first premium VOD title will be Just Go With It.  However, plans could change closer to launch.  Studios also don’t plan to release films to the Home Premiere service if they’re still doing well in theaters.  Hit the jump for my thoughts on this new service.

After taking first place on Friday by just half a million dollars, the PG-13 thriller Unknown managed to strengthen its hold on the top spot despite the Saturday surge of the week-old family film Gnomeo and Juliet.  Once again, the estimates within the top five are pretty close, which means that these numbers are likely to change by the time the four-day President’s Day weekend wraps up on Monday night.

Hollywood kicked off the four-day Presidents Day weekend on Friday and, no surprise, it looks like this weekend will not come close to 2010’s record-setting totals.  The estimates have been all over the map but it looks like Unknown took Friday with $6.7 million from its 3,045 locations. At number two with $6.2 million is I Am Number Four, the latest ‘young-adult’ book series to go for tent-pole status at the box office.  So far the projections for Four are disappointing, especially considering the film’s slight theatre count edge and its much more substantial advantage in hype.  As expected, this weekend’s third new release is bringing up the rear.  Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son was fourth on Friday with $4.8 million from 2,821 locations.  That puts the threequel just behind last weekend’s winner Just Go With It and just ahead of Gnomeo and Juliet, which is expected to surge ahead as the weekend progresses.  Full details tomorrow.

Weekend box office reports rely on estimated numbers and, as of Sunday morning, the estimates are just too close to call a definitive winner.  The way it looks at the moment, Adam Sandler’s Just Go With It is slightly ahead of the Justin Bieber: Never Say Never: $31 million to $30.3 million.  The crowning of the number one film, therefore, may have to wait until official totals are released on Monday morning.

Braving the blizzard of bland that has ruled our nation’s multiplexes over the past few weeks, four new releases took on 2011’s notoriously parsimonious box office on Friday.  Presales from preteens helped the 3D biopic Justin Bieber: Never Say Never take the Friday crown, with an estimated $12.2 million from 3,105 locations.  That is roughly equivalent to what Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience earned in its initial three days back in February of 2009.  However shocking it may seem, Bieber’s pic may have peaked early.  Projections put Friday’s number two film, Just Go With It, in first place by Sunday.  The Adam Sandler comedy brought in an estimated $9.7 million in its debut but is expected to climb past $30 million on the strength of its Valentine’s Day appeal.  Disney’s animated Gnomeo and Juliet placed third on Friday with $6.1 million but, with a nice Saturday bump from the family set, should get above $20 million by Sunday.  Finally, The Eagle placed fourth on Friday with $2.7 million from 2,296 locations. Full details tomorrow.

If you skipped Super Bowl XLV but wanted to see all the movie ads, you’re in the right place.  That’s because while we already posted Super 8, Captain America: The First Avenger, Transformers: Dark of The Moon, Cowboys & Aliens, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Thor, the studios also aired ads for Battle: Los Angeles, Priest, Limitless, Rio, Rango, Fast Five, The Adjustment Bureau, Drive Angry 3D, and Just Go With It.  If you’d like to check them out, hit the jump:

Columbia Pictures has sent over 6 clips from Adam Sandler’s latest comedy, Just Go With It.  The film is directed by Dennis Dugan (Happy Gilmore, Grown Ups) and stars Sandler as a plastic surgeon who must enlist the help of his assistant (Jennifer Anniston) to pose as his soon to be ex-wife in order to cover up a lie he told while romancing a young schoolteacher (Brooklyn Decker).   The film also stars Dave Matthews, Kevin Nealon, Rachel Dratch, and according to IMDb, Nicole Kidman.

While Sandler movies clearly follow a similar formula, a huge percentage gross over $100 million dollars.  And when you factor in worldwide grosses, you’re talking $200 million.  Say what you will about the films he makes, as he’ll brush off all snarky comments with hundred dollar bills.  Hit the jump for the clips.

Columbia Pictures has released the first trailer for Adam Sandler’s latest comedy, Just Go With It.  The film is directed by Dennis Dugan (Grown Ups) and stars Sandler as a plastic surgeon who must enlist the help of his assistant (Jennifer Anniston) to pose as his soon to be ex-wife in order to cover up a lie he told while romancing a young schoolteacher (Brooklyn Decker).  I’m always let down when I see Sandler starring in another predictable romantic-comedy, but I can never really hate the guy for some reason.  I just wish Sandler would make more films like Funny People, Reign Over Me, and Punch-Drunk Love more frequently, but I’m sure those movies don’t bring in the big bucks like how Just Go With It will.

Just Go With it opens on February 11, 2011 and also co-stars Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Kevin Nealon, and Dave Matthews.  Hit the jump to watch the trailer and to read a full plot synopsis for the film.

Columbia Pictures wants Nicole Kidman, Dave Matthews, and Brooklyn Decker to Just Go With It for the sake of the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy.  Directed by Dennis Dugan (You Don’t Mess with the Zohan), the film will revolve around Sandler’s character recruiting Aniston’s character “to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife and her kids to pretend to be his fake family.”  I can’t tell you how happy I am to see Sandler in another toothless family comedy and Jennifer Aniston being overshadowed by her male co-star.

Matthews, who previously co-starred with Sandler in Zohan and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, will once again play a supporting role.  Sports Illustrated model Brooklyn Decker will make her feature debut playing Sandler’s love interest (until Sandler falls for Aniston’s character because you’ve seen this movie a billion times).

As for Kidman, her role is being kept under wraps, but Variety is comparing it to an uncredited comedic role like Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder.  However, Kidman does not need any image repair, but I would recommend being in good movies.  Just Go With It may not be the best place to start.