For the past two decades, Tyler Perry Studios’ bread and butter has been bringing films written and directed by the namesake mogul to life. Now, it’s expanding its focus by investing in the next generation of filmmaking talent.
The production studio has launched a new specialty division that will help to develop and produce projects from independent filmmakers, as well as help them to find distribution opportunities and find audiences.
Dubbed Maxscene, the new division will be based out of Atlanta and led by Antoinetta Stallings, the head of development and acquisitions at TPS. Its first projects will include a romantic comedy, coming-of-age story and thriller, the titles and casts of which will be announced in the coming months, according to a press release.
The new arm of the studio was named in honor of Perry’s late mother Maxine. In a statement, Perry said she believed in him “before anyone else did, and that belief is the reason I never stopped chasing this path.”
“Maxscene exists to be that same source of belief for the next generation of storytellers,” Perry said.
This is the latest initiative under Perry’s belt to support upstart filmmakers. In March of last year, Perry launched a program called the Dream Collective, which provided virtual training sessions in filmmaking to 100 applicants, 10 of whom participated in workshops and pitched short film projects at TPS.
Perry, a quick-paced and prolific filmmaker, built his entertainment empire by creating, directing and writing his own projects. A 365-acre campus in Fort McPherson is the home base of many of his projects.
In recent years, he’s brought in other creatives to lead projects under his production company, including Armani Ortiz, who created the BET+ series “Perimeter” and has directed dozens of episodes of Perry’s series, and Courtney Glaudé, who struck a deal with TPS to develop and produce scripted and unscripted content in 2024.
Maxscene creates another avenue for independent filmmakers to see projects through Georgia’s production infrastructure. For first-time or early-stage filmmakers, bringing a film to life is a difficult, convoluted process. There is no one clear path to produce a film or get it in front of an audience.
The support Maxscene will provide to each filmmaker will vary depending on the project. Maxscene could acquire the film or provide time to shoot scenes at the Fort McPherson campus, said Robyne Gordon, the head of business affairs at TPS.
“What we realize is that talent is everywhere and access is not,” Gordon said. “We’re looking to close that gap.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
