First look images and a release date have arrived for Tyler Perry's A Madea Homecoming, which will be bringing the iconic character out of retirement. Madea is an elderly and outspoken character played by Tyler Perry in drag that originally appeared in a series of plays by Perry starting with 1999's I Can Do Bad All By Myself. She later became a megahit film star in 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, going on to appear in nearly a dozen films alongside stars like Taraji P. Henson, Loretta Devine, and Eugene Levy.
Perry originally planned to retire the character after her 2019 film A Madea Family Funeral, but he is also working on a prequel series called Mabel with Showtime. However, two factors came into his decision to resurrect the iconic property: first, his lucrative deal with Netflix that has already produced the 2020 thriller A Fall from Grace. Second, Perry has recently spoken about the desperate need for "big belly laughs" in the pandemic era, which he intends to deliver.
ET Canada shared a series of brand new images that Netflix has dropped from A Madea Homecoming. They also revealed that the film will be coming to the streaming service in just over a month, on February 25. The images show the return of not only Madea, but her frequent co-stars Cora (Tamela Mann), Mr. Brown (David Mann), and Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis Patton). These images also show off the inclusion of iconic U.K. drag character Agnes Brown, originally of Mrs. Brown's Boys, who is played by Irish actor Brendan O’Carroll. Check out the full-size images below:
Although further details of the plot of A Madea Homecoming are forthcoming, it is known that the plot will center around the college graduation of Madea's great-grandson. Things won't go perfectly smoothly, as hidden secrets begin to stir up the drama. This is a typical Madea setup that will likely pull double duty as a big moral lesson while allowing for Perry to stage scenes of actors pinballing past one another while delivering rapid-fire comic dialogue.
Madea has been a part of the American cinema landscape for so long that it's hard to imagine a world without her continuing adventures. Perry, who is directing, writing, and producing as well, hasn't spoken about whether he will continue playing the character after A Madea Homecoming. However, that will likely be decided by the Netflix numbers once the film debuts.
Source: ET Canada