Tyler Perry's Madea Is Back to MEET THE BROWNS at Lionsgate

Tyler Perry's Madea Is Back to MEET THE BROWNS at Lionsgate

Fifth Film in Studio's Tyler Perry Franchise to Begin Production This Summer at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta

Perry Writes, Directs, Stars in Adaptation of His Hit Play

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF), the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, announced today that Tyler Perry will return to the big screen, portraying Madea and Uncle Joe in TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS, Perry's fifth film for the studio and his fourth as director. Adapted by Perry from his stage play "Meet the Browns," TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS will begin production this summer at the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. The announcement was made by Lionsgate President of Film Production Michael Paseornek.

Perry's fourth Lionsgate feature, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED?, will be released on November 16, 2007. Starring Perry, Janet Jackson and Jill Scott, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED? follows eight married friends who confront issues of love and marriage over the course of their annual weekend reunion. TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS is scheduled for an early 2008 release. Perry's first three films for Lionsgate have grossed more than $200 million in worldwide box office, and the Company has sold more than 15 million Tyler Perry DVDs. His eagerly-anticipated sitcom, HOUSE OF PAYNE, which is being distributed in first-run syndication by Lionsgate's wholly-owned Debmar- Mercury subsidiary, debuted on June 6, 2007 on TBS.

"The Brown family is one of Tyler's most popular creations, so it's exciting to see them come to the big screen," said Paseornek. "And we're thrilled that Madea and Uncle Joe are going to be paying a visit in MEET THE BROWNS. Tyler is a unique and remarkable creative force, and we're delighted to continue adding films from one of our most successful franchises to our upcoming theatrical slate."

Said Perry, "One of the beautiful things about my relationship with Lionsgate is the room they give me to move between developing brand new material and revisiting my earlier work. I've learned so much in the course of making four films with them, and it's been exciting and rewarding to apply that experience to MEET THE BROWNS. I feel a responsibility to the audience to make a film that's true to the spirit and message of the play, yet still tells its own story."

Matthew Johnson of Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca, Fischer, Gilbert-Lurie, Stiffelman & Cook and Charles King of The William Morris Agency negotiated the deal on Perry's behalf.

SYNOPSIS

A funny, moving romantic drama about the power of love and family, Lionsgate's TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS marks another winning portrayal of life by writer/director/actor Tyler Perry (DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN, MADEA'S FAMILY REUNION) and features a return to the big screen by Madea, the indomitable, law-breaking, fun-loving grandma.

A single mother living in inner city Chicago, Brenda has been struggling for years to make ends meet and keep her three kids off the street. But when she's laid off with no warning, she starts losing hope for the first time -- until a letter arrives announcing the death of a father she's never met. Desperate for any kind of help, Brenda takes her family to Georgia for the funeral. But nothing could have prepared her for the Browns, her father's fun-loving, crass Southern clan. In a small-town world full of long afternoons and country fairs, Brenda struggles to get to know the family she never knew existed ... and finds a brand new romance that just might change her life.

Based on the popular stage production of the same name, TYLER PERRY'S MEET THE BROWNS is a charming story about the joys of family, and the possibility of second chances.

ABOUT TYLER PERRY

Since making his film debut in 2005 with Lionsgate's DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN, Tyler Perry has become a multimedia phenomenon with a roster of hugely successful film, stage, television, and book projects. Perry's first two films both debuted at number one at the North American box office, and the combined sales of his nine DVDs have surpassed 15 million units. Perry began his career as a playwright with "I Know I've Been Changed" in 1992; six years and many failed productions later, the play became an overnight success after what was to have been its final performance ever. Perry's eight produced plays to date have grossed over $150 million in ticket sales and set box office records in major venues across the country, including the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles and the Beacon Theater in New York. Perry's first book, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Life and Love debuted at #1 on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list the week of April 30, 2006, and was named both "Book of the Year" and "Humor Book of the Year" at the October 2006 Quill Book Awards. Also in 2006, Perry opened Tyler Perry Studios (TPS) in Atlanta, a state-of-the-art facility that currently houses three sound stages, as well as a 300 seat screening room and theater. TPS is the largest independent studio ever launched in the state of Georgia.

Perry's latest venture, the syndicated television sitcom "House of Payne" premieres June 6, 2007 on TBS.

ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning the 2006 Best Picture Academy Award(R) for CRASH and producing and distributing a broad portfolio of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of more than 11,000 motion pictures and television episodes is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

http://www.lionsgate.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Lionsgate

CONTACT: Sarah Greenberg, +1-310-255-3856, sgreenberg@lionsgate.com, or
corporate inquiries, Peter D. Wilkes, +1-310-255-3726, pwilkes@lionsgate.com,
both of Lionsgate

Web site:

http://www.lionsgate.com/

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