Tyler Perry is bringing back his iconic character in A Madea Homecoming, for Netflix, and the movie now has an official premiere date. According to Variety, the film will debut on Feb. 25, bringing the Madea character out of her short-lived retirement since 2019’s Madea’s Family Funeral. Perry once again writes, directs, and stars in the project, marking the 12th movie installment for the beloved franchise.
Little is known about the plot of the new film, but Perry did previously drop some hints while speaking to EW. “Even if you don’t understand, be open,” he said. “I just think that if everything gets accepted in love, then you get a chance to see the person for who they are rather than what you think they are.” There is speculation that Perry’s comments imply the new film may have a storyline related to the LGBTQ+ community. Notably, many fans thought that Madea was gone for good after Family Funeral, as Perry had assured the world she was never coming back.
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“It’s time for me to kill that old b—. I’m tired, man,” the filmmaker said in past comments. “We’re going to say goodbye in ’19.” He added, “I just don’t want to be her age playing her.” Interestingly, Indiewire pointed out that this was not the first time Perry had made similar comments, as he did so back in 2009. This was just four years after his first film outing as the character.
“I would love to see Madea die a slow death in the next film,” Perry reportedly said during an interview at that time. However, his explanation for why he wanted to do away with Madea was more about logistics than creative issues. He said that while Madea is “a whole lot of fun to watch… to do it is a nightmare.”
“It’s all one suit that I’m zipped into, so it’s all heavy. The hips are heavy. And the more I sweat, the heavier it gets,” he continued, then quipping, “I see why women have back problems who have large breasts. Holding those things upright can be tough.” He then went on to make what some could call a prophecy about Madea’s future, though it would be of the self-fulfilling variety. “As long as they want to see her, she’ll stay around,” he stated. “But, I’m telling you, if they ever stop coming, she’s going to die a quick death. Madea’s Funeral. That’s what you look forward to.”
