Move over, Netflix and BET. Madea’s coming to Amazon Studios. Or at least, her creator, Tyler Perry is. The Atlanta-based filmmaker recently inked a four-picture agreement with the powerful company’s streaming and film production arm.
That means that in addition to holding casting calls, he’ll soon be hiring at his movie studio for Amazon Prime shows and movies.
“I’m excited and grateful to start working with Amazon Studios to bring movies to Prime Video,” said in a statement. “Jennifer Salke [Head of Amazon Studios] and the entire team have welcomed me with open arms. 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 multihyphenate who has defined his own incredible brand of storytelling and inspired people all over the world with his series and films,” Amazon Studios head Salke was quoted as saying. “We are excited to collaborate with Tyler and his teams to bring even more of his fantastic signature films to our global audiences.”
Perry hopes to capitalize on his success with Netflix, where he brought A Fall From Grace and A Jazzman’s Blues to the streaming platform.
It’s been nothing short of a meteoric rise for Perry, who was born into poverty in New Orleans.
As a struggling playwright, Perry says he had to make his own path to stardom.
“You got to understand, I had no mentors,” Perry told Forbes. “My father doesn’t know anything about business, and my uncles and mother, they know nothing about this. I didn’t go to business school. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned in progress.”
Perry says he was told that the audience he was catering to wouldn’t be able to support full-feature films.
From Chitlin Circuit To Media Mogul
“ ‘Black people who go to church don’t go to the movies,’ ” Perry told Forbes that he was told back then. “I came from a place where Black people had already embraced me and loved me. I was completely happy there, and still am.”
Read more: Best work from home jobs in Atlanta, Georgia
