Tyler Perry doc, ‘Maxine’s Baby,’ to premiere on Prime Video

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A Tyler Perry documentary a decade in the making is now on the way.

From filmmakers Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz, “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story” focuses on the life, journey and career of the Black stage, film and media titan.

Per the press release sent to theGrio, the upcoming documentary project is a “nod to his mother’s love.” The playwright-filmmaker-actor’s mother, Willie Maxine Perry, passed away in 2009, at the age of 64.

“Maxine’s Baby” is described as “a tender and intimate portrait of visionary and innovator Tyler Perry: his harrowing but faithful road to the top of an industry that didn’t always include him.” Almost 10 years in the making, its makers — Bekele and Ortiz — had “unfettered access” to the media multi-hyphenate to tell his tale.

“Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz lead us into the inner-world of a man, whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top,” the synopsis concludes. “The product is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go.”

Perry received the Icon Award at the inaugural theGrio Awards last year in Los Angeles. During his acceptance speech, he took the time to honor the Black women who have supported him in his life, specifically his mother.

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Tyler Perry takes a moment to uplift women during his speech at inaugural theGrio Awards

“I wouldn’t be here without my mother and the women in my neighborhood,” he said to theGrio Awards audience. “You know, I wish I could say all the men in the neighborhood were there for me. But it was the Black women who corrected me, who made me strong, told me to stand up straight, who, when I did something wrong, popped me upside the head. You know, they showed me love and encouragement and kindness — my place.”

“Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story” premieres on Friday, Nov. 17, on Amazon Prime Video.

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