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He's lucky to get her, she's lucky to work for him. From Filmwad:
Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson is finally getting back into the movie business in full force after nearly a year of silence. The Dreamgirls star has lined up projects like the Sex and The City Movie, The Secret Life of Bees, and Winged Creatures. Now she'll be collaborating with Tyler Perry, reigning king of feel-good, middle-class, African American cinema (the first adjective disqualifies Spike Lee and Charles Burnett). Perry's new film is called The Family That Preys, and it focuses on "two families from different sides of the tracks that become intimately involved in love and business."
Sanaa Lathan, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard and Rockmond Dunbar are all aboard already. The film begins shooting on March 2nd at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. Perry wrote, directed, and will star in the film. Like his films or not, you've got to give him credit for his almost surprising independence and popularity. He's really become the Orson Welles of black cinema. But early Orson Welles, when he could do whatever he wanted and before he had to resort to drunkenly shilling for Paul Masson wine.
From IW: Interesting.
Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson is finally getting back into the movie business in full force after nearly a year of silence. The Dreamgirls star has lined up projects like the Sex and The City Movie, The Secret Life of Bees, and Winged Creatures. Now she'll be collaborating with Tyler Perry, reigning king of feel-good, middle-class, African American cinema (the first adjective disqualifies Spike Lee and Charles Burnett). Perry's new film is called The Family That Preys, and it focuses on "two families from different sides of the tracks that become intimately involved in love and business."
Sanaa Lathan, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard and Rockmond Dunbar are all aboard already. The film begins shooting on March 2nd at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. Perry wrote, directed, and will star in the film. Like his films or not, you've got to give him credit for his almost surprising independence and popularity. He's really become the Orson Welles of black cinema. But early Orson Welles, when he could do whatever he wanted and before he had to resort to drunkenly shilling for Paul Masson wine.
From IW: Interesting.
8 comments:
As long as he's not wearing a fat suit, dress and wig...
But yes, regardless of what his critics might say (and I'm one of them :o)), he's a one-man show, and is responsible for keeping many black actors working today, which is a good thing. He's got his built-in audience, and his distribution company (Lionsgate) knows that very well, which means, fewer dollars spent on marketing, and maximized profits. So, until the well starts to run dry, Mr Perry is here to stay, and people like myself will just have to get used to it.
Eye Dub, I think you meant the family that prays not preys. Let's hope Tyler isn't promoting preditory behavior in families :P
Or I could be wrong and it supposed to be with an e, but I did see it with an a else where.
Well,
Long Live the King.
Perry's audience, while huge, is mainly limited to a certain segment: middle aged black women with man problems. Just sit in a theater lobby (like I did when his last film Why Did I Get Married? came out) and watch who comes to see his films. It's 90% middle aged black women either alone or with other women. (The only guys you see are those unlikely unfortunates who were dragged by their wives or girlfriends to see the film.) And evidently there are a lot of them out there or else his films wouldn't be so popular!
But let's face it. In reality he makes what would be considered back in the from the 1930's through the 60's B movies. They would have played on the second bill of a double feature. Yeah sure he has black actors working (and for cheap even Angela Bassett who's in his next film which shows how spectacularly her career has gone) but he's not further developing his craft or expanding the limits of filmmaking unlike say a Paul Thomas Anderson or a Charles Burnett.
We'll see. Orson Wells and Tyler Perry do not belong in the same sentence.
I think he is making some smart moves career wise and building a very solid portfolio. I pray bigger and better for him.
And for J Hud, welcome back on the scene!
Only time will tell what comes next for them.
Peace & Love!
@TAO and Sergio: *sigh* tho I agree with you 100% sergio, I also have to agree with TAO. I have made my peace with Tyler Perry. I admire his spirit, and he is very obviously not going anywhere anytime soon, so no use in getting riled up. As I've said before, tho, I think he is an important inroad to the future of Blacks in Hollywood.
@Yobachi--I got that copy from Filmwad as is. They are always accurate from what I've seen, so it is probably just a play on words.
@babyplease: haha :-)
@danielle: you'll get no argument from me!
@regina: your positivity is always very welcomed...peace, sis :-)
I have to agree to Sergio and danielle. Perry targets a particular audience and his name should NOT be mentioned in the same sentence as Orson Wells, hell not even in the same sentence as Spike Lee.
For better or worse we are stuck with Mr. Perry and his brand of filmmaking. But I doubt he will ever make any real inroads in developing his craft because I don't think he is capable of doing so. But I would love for him to prove me wrong.
BTW, I am one of those middle-aged Black females and my friends have to drag me tooth and nail to one of Mr. Perry's movies without much success but on couple of occasions I have relented. I sit in the theatre, look out over the sea my Blck sisters and I cannot fathom why seemingly intelligent, educated women would subject themselves to such misogynistic drivel.
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