Tyler Perry talks 'Madea's Witness Protection' and when she'll 'die a quick death'

NEW YORK -- One could say the comedy of "Madea's Witness Protection" is partly dependent on Stuff White People Like: taking what creator and lead Tyler Perry describes as "the blackest woman of all the South" and putting her with a family led by one of the nerdiest character actors in Hollywood. Prepare for Madea's reaction to yoga, wifi and an aversion to carbohydrates, in other words.

This newest rendition of the sassy Madea was inspired by "the difference of what I have seen in my life, from where I come from... and when I'm in New York having dinner with some of my Broadway friends," Perry told HitFix in our recent interview. And put those people in his life together in one room, and, "that's a movie all its own."

This week has be chock full of Perry news, with "Madea" out tomorrow, the new trailer drop for his main acting role in "Alex Cross" and his claim that he'd like to pen a sci-fi. So how does he determine the future of Madea?

"As long as the audience wants to see it," Madea will stick around. Otherwise, you may be seeing a title similar to "Madea Dies a Quick Death," says Perry.

Check out what one of the film industry's biggest money-makers has to say about this latest comedy installment, about family values and how he knows when his films are to his satisfaction.

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

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After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.