Tyler Perry has signed a four-picture deal with Amazon Studios, where he’ll write, direct, and produce movies for release on Prime Video.
Netflix released Perry’s last three films — A Jazzman’s Blues, A Madea Homecoming, and A Fall from Grace, which drew a reported 26 million viewers in its first week on the streamer. Netflix did not disclose viewing stats for A Jazzman’s Blues, which marked Perry’s first screenplay when he wrote it 27 years ago, and had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival — another first for the filmmaker.
“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. I’m looking forward to continuing [to tell] 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,” Salke added in her own statement. “He is a true multihyphenate who has defined his own incredible brand of storytelling and inspired people all over the world with his series and films. We are excited to collaborate with Tyler and his teams to bring even more of his fantastic signature films to our global audiences.”
Perry has a handful of movies currently streaming on Prime Video, including For Colored Girls, Daddy’s Little Girls, Madea’s Big Happy Family, A Madea Christmas, and Tyler Perry’s Single Moms Club. The multi-talented creator joins fellow Black superstars such as Eddie Murphy, Michael B. Jordan, and Donald Glover at Amazon. For a list of other deals the streamer has with the industry’s top creators of color, check out my piece for The Ankler.
Perry also has a slew of TV series on the air right now, and he was recently honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at last year’s Academy Awards, as well as the Governor’s Award at the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards. He’s represented by WME.
