Tyler Perry is basking in the worldwide success of Madea’s return.
Perry’s latest Netflix film, A Madea Homecoming, has become the streaming service’s number one film, with The Tinder Swindler and Texas Chainsaw Massacre ranking directly below it. It has also been watched over 31.5 million hours during its debut week of Feb. 21 through Feb. 27. The film also ranked number one throughout the Americas including the Caribbean as well as in the top 10 spots around the world in 33 countries.
Perry wrote on social media how proud he was of the film's success.
“WOW!!!!! Since the beginning of my career, I was always told that ‘black movies’ don’t do well in other countries. I want to say, ‘thank you’ to not only my ride or dies in the USA but to all of you in the rest of the world that helped Hollywood see what I’ve always known! Movies with Black people in them can appeal to the entire globe. Thank you, thank you, thank you. THANK YOU NETFLIX!”
WOW!!!!! Since the beginning of my career, I was always told that “black movies” don’t do well in other countries. I want to say, “thank you” to not only my ride or dies in the USA, but to all of you in the rest of the world that helped… Continued: https://t.co/kcaeAAm0S6 pic.twitter.com/Z3YvE6Unw7
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) March 1, 2022
The film has broken new ground for Perry--not only is it his first film as Madea since retiring the character in 2019, but it's also the first time Perry has prominently featured a gay character in the central storyline.
In the film, Brandon Black plays Madea’s great-grandson who comes home after graduating college. He plans on coming out to Madea and the rest of the family, but his plans get complicated (as they do in a Madea film).
Black talked about what it’s been like joining Madea’s family, saying he hopes he can serve as a role model to fans.
“Tim’s family accepted him without a blink of an eye, and they’re all different people from different times,” he said in an interview with Shadow and Act. “We’ve got a few different generations that I was talking to at one time. And to see, even his dad who was problematic for other reasons, but he still was there for his kid. I think that especially [important] the male figures in our families accept their kids however they are– shout out to Dwayne Wade. I think that if we can see more of that and know that is a viable option that exists– it does exist that people love their kids no matter what they are. And Madea, being however old she is with a shotgun under her seat and all this stuff like that, to not even question it, I hope that more people do just like that.”
A Madea Homecoming is streaming now.
