Perry uses the facade to shoot city street scenes for his movies, including his successful "Madea" franchise.

CNN: Fire at Tyler Perry's studios limited to backlot facade

Mable (Madea) Simmons, a six-foot-five, homespun, truth-spouting, pot-smoking, politically-incorrect middle-aged black matriarch, busts ass while brandishing her handgun, fighting to impose emotional order in her world.

NEWYORKER: Mama��s Gun

The actor-director-writer-producer quadruple hyphenate, best known for flicks like Madea's Family Reunion, has created a vast library of hits, which he owns, geared to a loyal black audience.

FORBES: Lacey Rose On Hollywood

Exhibiting style, using passable diction, earning a good salary as a single woman, sleeping with a white man: to Madea, these are all pollutants to the authentic black woman.

NEWYORKER: Mama��s Gun

The low-budget comedy stars Craig Robinson from "The Office" and Kerry Washington from "Scandal" and was produced but not directed by Mr. Perry, who is best known for the hit "Madea" series.

WSJ: 'Iron Man' Tops Box Office; 'Gatsby' Enjoys Strong Debut

Madea is, of course, the very popular creation of Tyler Perry, the director, writer, and impresario, who is, at forty, the most financially successful black person the American film industry has ever known.

NEWYORKER: Mama��s Gun