Tyler Perry has made history by opening the biggest film studio ever known. The grand opening took place on Saturday, October 5th and was star-studded. Hundreds of A-list celebrities came to celebrate the opening of the studio in Atlanta. The director, screenwriter, producer and playwright made history as the only Black man to own a major movie studio in the U.S.
Perry invited many of his frequent collaborators to his fete, which took place on the 330-acre lot, including Oprah Winfrey, Cecily Tyson, Taraji P. Henson, Jill Scott, Whoopi Goldberg, and Keshia Knight Pulliam.
Other Hollywood heavyweights came, including Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay, Beyoncé, Jay Z and Halle Berry, along with politicos such as John Lewis, Bernice King and Stacey Abrams to name a few.
“The studio was once a confederate army base,” he said of the land, known as Fort McPherson, which was previously used as a Confederate Army base during Civil War, when the south fought to keep Black people enslaved.
According to his website, Perry purchased the land in June 2015. The transformed land now holds 12 sound stages for movie productions.
Tyler Perry dedicated each soundstage to a Black person who’s made strides in Hollywood, including the late Diahann Carroll.
PICTURES FROM TYLER PERRY STUDIO
GRAND OPENING
Photo credit: Essence.com
