“Perry, 37, is building a maverick media company by translating “urban theater” - the often melodramatic, revival-style stage plays that tour the country catering to black audiences - into mainstream movies and television shows. It’s a niche he has come to dominate so thoroughly that he is able to do things in Hollywood that most others - especially newcomers - simply can’t.”
“In September, Perry opened Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, one of the first movie studios in this country owned by an African American. He made his first two films - 2005’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” and 2006’s “Madea’s Family Reunion” - with Lions Gate Entertainment for a total of just $11 million. They both opened at No. 1, and together they grossed over $110 million, shocking Hollywood with their profit margins. His third movie, this month’s “Daddy’s Little Girls,” is opening with similar projections.’
