Tyler Perry Is Ending His Madea Franchise
The Madea era is coming to a close—with a stage tour and next years appropriately titled film farewe..
The Madea era is coming to a close—with a stage tour and next years appropriately titled film farewell: Tyler Perrys a Madea Family Funeral.
Tyler Perry made the official announcement during a Sirius XM interview, explaining, “I just dont want to be her age [still] playing her.” Madea, who was 68 when she was first introduced onstage 20 years ago, has been the hardest-working character in Hollywood—appearing in dozens of films, TV shows, and theater productions. Her films alone have grossed over $500 million worldwide.
The filmmaker revealed that he and his cast wrapped production on Madea Family Funeral two years ago—the plot involving a family reunion, a homecoming to backwoods Georgia, and an unexpected funeral. The poster shows Perrys grand-dame title character in full mourning garb, head tilted down. The filmmaker, who debuted the character onstage in I Can Do Bad All by Myself, did not disclose whether the funeral was for Madea herself. The stage show and film finale, a neat 20 years after Madeas debut, seem like a symmetrical bookend. Perry joked that Madea did not know she was being written off, deadpanning, “Dont tell her.”
The forthcoming film will also mark the last collaboration between Perry and Lionsgate. The filmmaker has signed a deal with Viacom that will have him producing content across television, film, and short-form video platforms.
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