Is Tyler Perry the most powerful black man in Hollywood?

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Samuels agrees, deeming Perry’s films “escape movies” which are easier for audiences to digest.

“You laugh and forget how bad unemployment numbers are for African-Americans, and you forget how high the prison rates are for young black men, and you forget all the problems of the world,” she points out. “I still think though, there are movies that encourage and entice us to think more about other issues, and unfortunately, I just don’t think black directors get encouraged to make those kinds of films…Even when films like that are moderately successful by black filmmakers, you still don’t see the encouragement to make more – only when they bring in a ton of money. That’s just not the way it works in white Hollywood.”

Money talks

Beyond Lee, Perry’s clout exceeds most other black filmmakers. Take Antoine Fuqua. His latest film, Olympus Has Fallen, has earned twice the amount of Perry’s new film Temptation in the same amount of time, but Fuqua has been struggling to get a project off the ground for the past three years.

Similarly, the Hughes brothers’ last project together, 2010’s The Book of Eli, raked in an impressive $94 million at the box office, yet they’ve only made seven films since they broke out in 1993. Perry made over half that amount in 2012 alone.

To be clear though, it’s not just black Hollywood that Perry dominates, it’s the entire movie business.

In 2011, Forbes ranked him the highest-paid man in entertainment, earning $130 million a year over such other powerbrokers as Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Simon Cowell.

No Oscars. No blockbusters. No dramatic war films or science fiction epics. Perry did it all his own way, and shows little sign of changing his tune.

“He doesn’t have to evolve because the box office receipts continue to grow without him evolving,” says Samuels.

Furthermore, as Jeffries suggests, Perry answers to himself.

“I don’t think any studio looks to send him material because he generates his own mostly,” she explains. “If nobody else in Hollywood supported him, he would still be able to do it because he’s got the money and the facility, and it’s all at his fingertips. He’s a lucky, lucky man. He’s probably one of the most successful in Hollywood because of what he’s built.”

Misguided influence?

Monetary figures and star ranking aside, Perry has become a provocative construct of the American social thread: a black man who came from nothing to lead a white-run industry, but one who is both loved and hated within his constituency.

With every addition to the Madea franchise, the rolling argument of whether Perry has used his influence for the destruction of the African-American identity finds new voice.

Does he promote stereotypes? Does he repeat himself? Or do the figures speak for themselves?

“There’s a certain part of the African-American community that supports him wholeheartedly, that’s the church community, the black working class,” Samuels says. “There’s a certain section of the black community that feels his comedy has not evolved over the years, and they wish he would grow…There is that level, particularly from inside black Hollywood, that has been hesitant to criticize him publicly. I think Spike has done it at his own peril. People have become critical of him for being critical of Tyler because you’re not supposed to criticize other African-Americans, particularly when they’re successful.”

“But Spike had a valid point,” she continues. “Particularly when it comes to men dressing up in dresses and stuff like that, which is considered to be degrading. That is a debate that has gone on forever in black Hollywood. When do we stop doing that? When is it a minstrel show?…Because Tyler’s so successful, he’s at the center of it, and that’s why people continue to talk about him because of those movies and because they do so well. But they do so well because a lot of African-Americans go to see them. So you have to sit there and wonder if this is what African-Americans want to see, who are you to judge, who are you to complain that it’s not good enough? That is where the conundrum comes.”

Joining forces with Oprah

Despite what negative criticism he may reap, Perry remains on top of the world, and therefore it seems only fitting he joined forces with another media mogul, Oprah Winfrey, to expand his regime.

Perry and OWN announced their partnership last October, describing it as an exclusive, multi-year deal which includes two original scripted shows to be executive produced, written, and directed by Perry.

Samuels believes this could be a chance for artistic breakthrough.

“Oprah could be the catalyst for Tyler to evolve,” she remarks. “Because her network has certainly evolved over the last 12 months, so maybe she can be that spark to say, well let’s get some of these characters more developed, let’s get some of these storylines a little more developed. Maybe she can be that person in his ear because I think if he listens to anyone, it will be her.”

Follow Courtney Garcia on Twitter at @CourtGarcia