Lionsgate has wasted little time extending its lucrative relationship with Tyler Perry, whose number one US release Madea Goes To Jail scored a record launch recently for both studio and film-maker and stands at $65.5m after less than two weeks.

The company has acquired rights to the prolific film-maker's next two
projects has set a March 16 start-date for the first project to go, Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself.

Taraji P Henson, supporting actress Oscar nominee for her role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button,has signed to star and principal photography is scheduled to take place at the new Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta in time for a September 11 release. The picture will feature the signature character of Madea.

Production will commence later this year on Tyler Perry's Why Did I
Get Married Too, a sequel to the 2007 release Tyler Perry's Why Did I
Get Married'

Lionsgate expects to release the picture nationwide on Easter weekend,
April 2, 2010. Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns launched in second place
at the North American box office over Easter Weekend 2008 and grossed
$20.1m in its first three days.

President of motion picture production Mike Paseornek called Perry 'an
amazing talent, dedicated colleague and beloved family member,' while
the film-maker said Lionsgate had allowed him 'the creative freedom to
make the films my audience expects and comes out to support.'

In addition to a successful DVD and TV collaboration, Lionsgate has
released seven Tyler Perry pictures since Diary Of A Mad Black Woman
in February 2005, grossing close to $350m in North America.

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