Tyler Perry to Write and Direct 4 Movies for Amazon

Brian Welk
·2 min read
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Tyler Perry is heading to Amazon, striking a four-picture film deal to write, direct, and produce movies for Amazon Studios that will live on Prime Video. No specific project information has been revealed, and it’s also unclear whether Perry will star in any of the four films.

Perry most recently directed “A Jazzman’s Blues,” a historical melodrama for Netflix that made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September. Some of his other recent projects include the 12th Madea movie, “A Madea Homecoming,” also for Netflix, and the thriller “A Fall From Grace.” Perry previously had a first-look deal with Lionsgate and in 2019 released “A Madea Family Funeral,” which made $74.7 million worldwide.

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“I’m excited and grateful to start working with Amazon Studios to bring movies to Prime Video,” Perry said in a statement. “Jennifer Salke and the entire team have welcomed me with open arms, and I’m looking forward to continuing telling unique stories and bringing my next projects to the global audiences that they reach.”

“Tyler Perry is undeniably one of the most prolific creators of our time. He is a true multi-hyphenate who has defined his own incredible brand of storytelling and inspired people all over the world with his series and films,” Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, added. “We are excited to collaborate with Tyler and his teams to bring even more of his fantastic signature films to our global audiences.”

The announcement of its pairing with Perry follows a Bloomberg report ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday that Amazon was looking to invest up to $1 billion per year in bringing movies into theaters, a report that sent the stock for exhibitors soaring. While it’s more likely that any added investment will benefit MGM movies (Amazon acquired MGM earlier this year), having Perry’s films back in theaters wouldn’t hurt.

Perry was honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at last year’s Oscars and the Governor’s Award at the 2020 Emmys. On the television side, Perry has created, directed, and written several series for BET and BET+, including “The Oval,” “Assisted Living,” “Bruh,” “Sistas,” “Zatima,” and “Ruthless.”

Perry is represented by WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.

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