Director Tyler Perry responded to critics panning his new movie Madea’s Witness Protection.
In an anxious letter emailed to thousands of members of his personal website, Tyler begs his fans to “have my back,” and he stresses about “some of the things I have to deal with” behind the scenes.
Noting that the 1st weekend is “so important,” Perry urged his loyal fans to “take your family, friends, social and church groups to see MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION this weekend.”
Perry held private screenings for a few hand-picked movie critics. But word is filtering out that Tyler’s movie might be for his most loyal fans only.
One critic called attention to the number of times Perry’s name appears on the movie poster. The critic referred to the poster as “a display of self-aggrandizement not even Orson Welles would have attempted.”
Read the full text of Tyler Perry’s email after the break.
Hey guys,
One day I’m going to write a book and tell you about all the crap that goes on behind the scenes in my life. Good God almighty, you won’t believe some of the things I have to deal with. You would think that by now I wouldn’t have to fight to release a movie… but I do. Everything is a fight. I mean everything. By the time the movie comes out I’m so exhausted from the fight that it’s hard to unwind and take it all in.
Hear me good when I say this to you, I never take for granted that you are going to come out and see my films. Never. I know that you have a lot of choices and a lot of other things you can do with your time and money, so all I can tell you is that I’m so glad that you do and that you have been with me from the beginning. This means the world to me. It really does. That is where I get my rewards, knowing that you are with me. I want you to know that I, and everybody that works at TPS and their families, appreciate it so much.With that said, MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION opens Friday, June 29th. That’s tomorrow. Just to let you know where this idea came from… I was sitting at dinner with a friend and I said to them, “the punishment for Bernie Madoff should have been that he had to move in with Madea.” Isn’t the thought of that funny? Light bulbs went off in my head, so I wrote THE FUNNIEST Madea movie I’ve ever written. You’ll see! This movie is hilarious. It’s nonstop laughter. I sure hope you have plans to go out and take your family, friends, social and church groups to see MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION this weekend. The first weekend is so important. That’s how you’re judged in Hollywood. And that is how you can help me fight, by showing up at the movie theater this weekend.
I sure hope you still have my back… I need your help to win this fight.
I’ll be on Facebook, Twitter and tylerperry.com’s message board reading your comments.
Talk soon,Tyler
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