Tyler Perry has done it again with the release of his latest film Boo! A Madea Halloween. The movie opened nationwide this past weekend and knocked megastar Tom Cruise off the top films in box office sales. Cruise currently stars in a sequel to his popular Jack Reacher action series and has a huge budget. The movie Never Go Back had a budget of $60 million and earned box office sales of $23 million this past weekend.
Cruise’s film was edged out from the top spot by Perry’s latest Madea sequel, which earned $27.6 million in ticket sales .It’s an incredible feat for a film with a production budget of $20 million, filmed in Atlanta. Perry’s holiday comedy had a wide range of demographics when it came to his fans. It is estimated that the audience for the current film was near 60% Black and had wide crossover appeal among Whites and Hispanics.
David Spitz, co-president of domestic distribution at Lionsgate which distributed Boo! A Madea Halloween stated to media, “The film crossed over and it expanded the audience … Madea is such a beloved character and the timing helped. There are not many comedies in the marketplace right now and Halloween is right around the corner.”
Tyler Perry has proven to be a powerhouse in the entertainment industry with a winning formula of success. HIs purchase of the decommissioned Ft. McPherson Army base in the heart of Atlanta was an incredible feat. The new Tyler Perry Studios sits on 330 sprawling acres of historic buildings and green space. The facility has state of the art sound stages and serves as a centerpiece of the what is being called “Hollywood South.” Other major Hollywood studios also have used Perry’s facilities that have included new Avengers movies and the popular series “The Walking Dead.”
