Few in the film industry may be as quietly prolific as Tyler Perry. And a lot of his success comes thanks to his “Madea” movies: totaling twelve in all since “Diary Of A Mad Black Woman” in 2005. But what the roots of Perry’s success as an entertainer? Prime Video explores that in “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story,” set for its world premiere at AFI Fest later this month.
The new doc focuses on Perry becoming a media titan through his relationship with his mother, and the myriad transformations he and his career have undergone in the past three decades.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Maxine’s Baby,” courtesy of Prime Video:
Writer, actor, filmmaker, studio head, and media titan Tyler Perry is America’s consummate multihyphenate. But underneath this entertainment behemoth is a man working humbly to heal his childhood trauma by transforming his pain into promise. Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story, a nod to his mother’s love, is a tender and intimate portrait of visionary and innovator Tyler Perry and his harrowing-but-faithful road to the top of an industry that didn’t always include him. Nearly a decade in the making, with unfettered access, directors Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz lead us into the inner world of a man whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top. The product is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go.
Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz direct “Maxine’s Baby.” Bekele also co-produces the picture with Jasmine K. White and Asante White.
“Maxine’s Baby” has its world premiere at AFI Fest later this month, which runs from October 25-29. After that, the doc premieres exclusively on Prime Video on November 17. Watch a trailer for the doc below.