← Tyler Perry Decoded: The Deals, the Brand, the Influence

Lionsgate-620×480

By Anslem Samuel | Published March 20, 2011 | Full size is 620 × 413 pixels

LIONSGATE FILMS Before 2005, Lionsgate Films made their mark producing low budget films that yielded higher numbers at the box office. The studio’s successes in the African American market, however, was small yet notable. In 2001 they released Lee Daniels’ Monster’s Ball, which earned Halle Berry a Best Actress Oscar, but no other films followed that displayed people of color in leading roles. That was until Lionsgate signed on to distribute and produce Perry’s first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), which cost $5.5 million to make but wound up generating over $50 million at the box office. Ten films later, the combination of Perry and Lionsgate has resulted in an additional $424 million in domestic ticket sales. Perry’s next film, Madea's Big Happy Family, is due out next month and is sure to make the partnership even more profitable than it already is.

LIONSGATE FILMS Before 2005, Lionsgate Films made their mark producing low budget films…