Tyler Perry's upcoming film was 25 years in the making.
The star, Tyler Perry, 52, first wrote the screenplay in 1995. Perry said in an interview with People,
"I was telling him that I had all these stories that I wanted to tell, and he was very, very encouraging about me writing what I wanted to write. I went home that night and started writing A Jazzman's Blues."
"Unfortunately with this film, I went to a bunch of up-and-coming young artists who were getting a lot of attention and I asked them about doing the role. They read the script, they loved the script, but I think there was a reservation or hesitation about working with me in particular on this film, because I guess they didn't know how it would turn out."
"A lot of times these teams don't necessarily understand the power of my audience and what I bring. The people who are in [A Jazzman's Blues] made it exactly what it was supposed to be, It's better than I ever thought it would be, but it's always been very important to me to break new faces. And that has opened the door for me to be able to help so many people."
"I was really moved by that number, and understanding with the strength of my audience in all of these years of investing, I am able to write those checks to that many people, many of them, women and people of color. It's moving to me. It motivates me and it keeps me grounded and keeps me going, because I realize how many dreams have been tied up into mine."
Perry helped launch the careers of stars like Idris Elba and Tessa Thompson after becoming an entertainment star. On top of being part owner of Viacom's BET+ network, in 2021, he launched his own production compound, Tyler Perry Studios, located in Atlanta, which sits on 330 acres of land.
