In 2019, Tyler Perry decided to hang up his Madea wig and bid farewell to the Diary of a Mad Black Woman after making 11 films and 10 plays starring the comedic character. As it turns out, Madea’s “farewell tour” didn’t mean goodbye. Perry has just announced he’ll be reprising the character for an upcoming Netflix movie that he will write, direct and star as Madea once again in it.
An upcoming Madea movie said to be called A Madea Homecoming has been quietly in development since fall of 2020 as Variety has learned and is expected to come to Netflix next year. The project will be shot in Tyler Perry’s own studio in Atlanta, Georgia and be the part of the producer’s ongoing deal with Netflix.
A Madea Homecoming will reportedly be the final movie starring Mabel “Madea” Simmons... but, for real this time. Plot details have not been released about the project. Perhaps the movie will revolve around giving the character a proper send off. It’s possible the decision was made following the dismal reception of A Madea Family Funeral, which underwhelmed fans of the long-running franchise overall.
In late 2020, Tyler Perry expressed some nostalgia over saying goodbye to his famous character amidst the pandemic. He told Variety that he was “completely done” with Madea prior to the COVID-19 era, but has since found himself missing the “laughter and joy” his comedic work brought to people. And to quote Perry ahead of the release of A Madea Family Funeral in contrast:
I'm happy to kill that old bitch, I'm tired, man... I just don't want to be her age, playing her.
Hey, but perspectives change and since leaving Madea behind Tyler Perry has opened his own 330-acre studio lot in Atlanta, Georgia and partnered with Netflix for A Fall From Grace, which earned an incredible 26 million views in its first week of release. With a couple new platforms for the producer, writer and actor to live and breathe in, it could be the best situation for giving Madea a more memorable ending.
In addition to Tyler Perry’s return to Madea, he will reportedly explore the origins of the character with a Showtime prequel series called Mabel. The show will be about a young Madea, apparently leaving room for another actor to take on the mantle of the character in a new way. What’s interesting about this take is it is said to be a drama about Madea rather than a comedy.
A Madea Homecoming is one of many upcoming Tyler Perry movies and TV shows. Perry is also set to play a role in Netflix’s star-studded movie Don’t Look Upstarring Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. We’ll look forward to one last hurrah for Tyler Perry’s iconic character sometime in 2022.
