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Turner Pre-Buys Tyler Perry's "Meet the Browns"
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Mar 18, 2008, 08:24

Turner's TBS/TNT has inked a deal with Lionsgate to pre-buy Perry's "Meet the Browns," which opens in theaters this Friday, March 21.  In the film, Angela Bassett stars as a single mom who takes her family to Georgia for the funeral of her father -- a man she never met - where she is introduced to the crass, fun-loving Brown family.

The pre-buy is part of a four-picture deal between TBS/TNT and Lionsgate valued at between $8 and $10 million.  The three other titles in the deal are "Witness Protection," starring Larry the Cable Guy; "Lord of War," with Nicolas Cage; and "In the Mix," starring Usher.

"Turner is keeping up with the Tyler Perry franchise and the Larry the Cable Guy franchise in this deal," Rand Stoll, executive VP of television for Lionsgate told Variety. Stoll is referring to TBS' purchase of four previous Perry theatricals: "Why Did I Get Married?," "Daddy's Little Girls," "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." TBS also has a ratings winner with Perry's weekly first run sitcom "House of Payne."

Before landing on TBS/TNT, "Meet the Brown" will get an exclusive 18-month pay TV window on Showtime, which has an output deal with Lionsgate.

Based on the popular stage production of the same name, "Meet the Browns" is written and directed by Tyler Perry, and stars David Mann, Tamela Mann, Angela Bassett, Lance Gross, Chloe Bailey, Mariana Tolbert, Rick Fox, Sofia Vergara and Irma P. Hall.