Ale Posted October 22, 2007 Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 Writer-actor-director wants to shatter the stereotype that African American-themed films don't click overseas. By Lorenza Muñoz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 22, 2007 Tyler Perry debunked the Hollywood myth that movies and television shows about family, relationships and God were too narrow and folksy to resonate with a large audience. His latest film, "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" has pulled in nearly $40 million in only two weeks and outdid such films as George Clooney's "Michael Clayton" in its opening weekend. But can Perry take on the rest of the world? The Atlanta-based writer-actor-director wants to build an international following, shattering a Hollywood stereotype that African American-themed movies have little currency abroad. He's taking a page from the global success stories of such stars as Will Smith and Denzel Washington and the gospel-inspired play "Mama I Want to Sing!" which has toured the world for more than a decade. Today, Smith is one of the world's most popular stars, grossing hundreds of millions of dollars here and abroad not only from action films but dramas such as "The Pursuit of Happyness." "We are challenging the status quo," said Charles King, Perry's agent at the William Morris Agency. "We do not believe that there is not an international audience for Tyler's movies." Several major studios are now courting Perry, promising to push him internationally. These offers are particularly appealing because his current distributor, Lions Gate, has had a disappointing track record abroad. Only two of Perry's four movies have opened internationally. The films, released in such countries as Poland, Iceland, South Africa and Brazil, grossed a pittance there. Lions Gate declined to discuss its international plans for Perry. Perry declined an interview request. But taking a place on the world stage is no small endeavor and does not depend entirely on a studio's distribution muscle. Stars must work overtime giving countless publicity interviews in new territories with newspapers, TV shows and magazines, not to mention the obligatory appearances at premieres. Certain genres do better than others. American comedies, for instance, are a tough sell. Although "The Wedding Crashers" grossed $209 million domestically, it brought in only $75 million abroad. "Knocked Up" took in only $58 million internationally, compared with $149 million here. Films with African American themes tend to struggle internationally, even when they include global stars. For instance, the 2002 hit "Barbershop," starring Ice Cube, grossed $76 million domestically and only $1.3 million abroad, according to Box Office Mojo. "Dreamgirls," with Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and the internationally famous Beyonce, grossed $51.2 million abroad while bringing in $103.3 million at home. "You have to make sure you have a relatable emotion through the movie," said James Lassiter, Smith's business partner, who has traveled the world with the star. "You have to check your ego and go into a territory and recognize that nobody knows you. You go back again and again and by the third time, you are a star." Smith began building an international base early on. In 1995 Smith and Lassiter (with the help of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer) convinced the studio behind "Bad Boys" to send them to the Cannes Film Festival, where the world's media congregate every year. What was going to be a two-day trip turned into two weeks of interviews and stops throughout Western Europe. The film grossed $75 million abroad, far exceeding the studio's initial projections of $5 million, Lassiter said. "Bad Boys" was Smith's first breakout hit internationally, and was followed by the hugely successful "Independence Day." "The fact that we traveled earlier in our careers gave us the sense that America is not the world," said Lassiter, noting that Smith's music albums and his hit TV show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in the early 1990s took him to the world stage before he was in movies. "Tyler Perry's movies can double what they do domestically with the right plan for selling them around the world," he said. http://q13.trb.com/news/la-fi-tylerperry22...oll=kcpq-news-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Hero1 Posted October 22, 2007 Admin Report Share Posted October 22, 2007 JL is a smart man..great quotes! :wickedwisdom: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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