Tyler Perry Opens the Country’s Largest Studio Lot in Atlanta

Perry’s 330-acre space is the first ever black-owned studio lot in the US.

Tyler Perry gathered the biggest A-list stars within the black community this weekend to officially open his highly anticipated studio lot. Coined Tyler Perry Studios, the 330-acre space is the first ever black-owned film studio lot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Perry accomplished this without corporate backing and no partners.

Esteemed guests at the opening gala included Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, Samuel L. Jackson, Tiffany Haddish, Kerry Washington and many others. On the red carpet stars gathered along a wall which was accentuated by red roses. Beyoncé and Jay-Z also made a surprise appearance for the occasion.

“Why did it take so long?” Whoopi Goldberg asked in an interview with THR. “Why was he the first to get it? Now he’s the man who makes the decisions, chooses the movies, and he doesn’t have to ask anybody for sh*t. There’s nothing better than that.”

Winfrey later added, “Tyler is my little big brother. To see him rise to this moment that I know he’s dreamed about, planned, defined, clarify for himself, it’s just a fulfillment of a dream. It’s wonderful to see.”

DuVernay took to her Instagram Stories to share an inside look at the affair. In her videos, Perry dedicated the sound stages to titans such as Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, John Singleton and Harry Belafonte.

In one of her tweets about the event, Ava also noted: “The studio lots of Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount, Fox and Sony could fit inside Tyler Perry’s studio lot at the same time – and there would still be 60 acres to spare.” In a room filled with roughly 800 of his guests Perry shared his successes, how he got his start and more.

Keep scrolling to take a look at what happened at the gala.