Due to the location’s dark past, film mogul Tyler Perry revealed that he used God’s Word to establish the foundation for his 330-acre Atlanta, Georgia, studio.
Perry acquired the land for Tyler Perry Studios in 2015, and since its grand opening in 2019, the studio has been the launching pad for hundreds of TV shows and films.
In a recent interview with AARP, Perry revealed that before building sound stages on the land, he buried Bibles underneath the structures “as a way of refocusing the spirit of the place.”
Tyler Perry Studios sits on a former Confederate army base, and Perry is the first black American to own the land. He built 12 sound stages on the property, each named after black actors and actresses that influenced the writer and visionary.
He explained to AARP, “The land itself was once a Confederate Army base, which meant there were people here fighting to keep my ancestors enslaved.” The professing Christian shared that he was haunted by the land as soon as he stepped on it.
“From the moment I walked onto the property, I was haunted by it. So, as we built each of the 12 soundstages, we buried Bibles underneath them, as a way of refocusing the spirit of the place,” he continued. Perry has since used the studio to create content honoring black experiences.
His scripted crime-drama series, “The Haves and the Have Nots,” ran for eight seasons on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network and was “the highest-rated show” on the channel. Perry said, “For Oprah and me, it was important to show black people that you can work together, that powers can come together and be successful.”
He said that Tyler Perry Studios also provides jobs for many people, including those marginalized, adding, “Thousands of people come through the gate every day to work here. And it’s a beautiful thing. A lot of them are former prisoners who wouldn’t have had this shot.” Perry has intentionally invited God into his studio space since its launch.
During the grand opening gala for his studio in 2019, the performer hosted a church service and gospel brunch. The service was held in a replica church of the sanctuary featured in “The Color Purple” and featured performances from a gospel choir and the Clark Sisters along with a sermon by Bishop T.D. Jakes.
At the time, Perry took to Instagram to praise God for his success, writing, “Glory to Glory – Couldn’t close the weekend without Jesus meeting us on the lawn at the studio!! Having a full heart and a thankful soul to all that have prayed me all the way here.”
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There’s nothing more important than having God at the foundation of everything you do. With this idea in mind, Tyler Perry took it literally and buried a Bible underneath his film studio. You could also see this move as Perry cleansing the land since it was once a Confederate Army base. Still, with God as his foundation, Tyler Perry will continue to have success.
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