Will Tyler Perry have to whiten things up in his new movie “The Family That Preys” — yeah, preys, not prays — in order to gain some cross-over appeal?
In essence, that’s the question being asked about Tyler Perry’s movies — which are viewed largely by black audiences.
So, will the presence of Kathy Bates and a few more white actors help garner Perry the mixed audience that is sure to be his?
If the original screenplay is good enough, yes…
Will Whites Watch Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys?
I — one of many — really like Tyler Perry’s movies, but have been known to whisper about their over-the-top melodrama and sermon-filled diatribes at times.
Perry’s films are excellent for a rip-roaring holler session with my black church folk, or a quiet “Daddy’s Little Girls” viewing session solo on my own big screen, but a change is in order.
No Madea in “The Family That Preys” — and that’s probably a great thing.
Casting Taraji P. Henson, Robin Givens, Sanaa Lathan and the Misery-loving About Schimdt-naked-getting Kathy Bates in “The Family That Preys” was even more of a boon for Perry.
Just like Spike Lee stretched his artistic wings beyond She’s Gotta Have It into films that featured more diverse casts, Perry is playing around in his well-deserved freedom to truly find out: