Tyler Perry's Madea Movies In Order (By Release Date & Chronologically)

Tyler Perry’s Madea movies have jumped from the stage to the screen and become an important fixture in modern popular culture. The character debuted in the 1999 play I Can Do Bad All by Myself, with Perry originating the role alongside his usual writing, and directing duties. It wouldn’t be long before the character arrived on the big screen, and 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman introduced Madea to the world at large. Beloved for her bombastic personality and hard edge, Madea and her stories are often much richer than the goofy humor that comes with the character.

While Perry has garnered criticism for his somewhat stereotypical portrayal, the overwhelming popularity of the Madea feature films has proven that the character has struck a nerve with audiences at large. Every Madea movie is its own unique entity, and the prolific black creator has also never strayed away from tackling deeper issues through his iconic character. The strongest aspect of the Madea movies is that they appear to be simple comedy on the surface, but are actually careful dissections of themes such as class, infidelity, and the sometimes turbulent nature of an average family.

1 Tyler Perry’s Madea Movies In Order (By Release Date & Chronologically)

There Have Been 13 Madea Movies In Total

Tyler Perry has made 13 Madea movies in total, starting with 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, with the most recent being 2022’s A Madea Homecoming. The next Madea movie, Madea’s Destination Wedding, was announced in 2024, though it has yet to have a release date. However, it is known that it will be hoested on Netflix when it arrives.

2 Diary Of A Mad Black Woman (2005)

Madea Was A Supporting Character In Her First On-Screen Appearance

The first feature-film appearance of Madea (full name Mabel Earlene Simmons) was in 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, though the character had appeared in several of Tyler Perry’s plays since 1999. Though she dominated the bulk of the promotional materials for the movie, Madea was a supporting character in her debut film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

Helen (Kimberly Elise) finds her life falling apart when she discovers that her husband intends to divorce her. Tyler Perry didn’t direct Diary of a Mad Black Woman despite writing the script, and though it was a box office smash (via Box Office Mojo), it lacked the same spirit that many of the sequels would find through Perry’s unique touch. Madea unsurprisingly stole the show, and the movie proved that the character had star quality on screen and stage.

3 Madea’s Family Reunion (2006)

The 2006 Movie Gave Audiences Exactly What They Wanted; More Madea

The next time Tyler Perry’s Madea appeared on the big screen was the following year from Diary of a Mad Black Woman in 2006’s Madea’s Family Reuniion. Wasting no time in capitalizing on the immense success of the first movie, Madea’s Family Reunion delivered more of what audiences were looking for. Madea was elevated from a supporting character to the titular role, which means that Madea’s Family Reunion could technically be considered as the first true Madea movie given her limited appearance in Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

While planning her hectic family reunion, Madea (Perry) suddenly finds herself taking care of a troubled runaway teen named Nikki (Keke Palmer). Perry assumed directing duties for Madea’s Family Reunion and the movie instantly crackled with life, unlike its more staid predecessor. Despite upping the humor factor through Madea’s increased role, the second of the Madea movies tackled deep issues like parental responsibility and the relationship between generations.

4 Meet The Browns (2008)

Tyler Perry Had A Dual Role In Meet The Browns

The next time Madea appeared in a movie it was once again in a reduced capacity, with Tyler Perry’s fan-favorite character only appearing in a cameo capacity. 2008’s Meet the Browns once again saw Madea take a step back, and it resulted in one of the more understated entries in the series. Upon learning of the death of her estranged father, Brenda (Angela Bassett) travels to Georgia to meet a side of her family she has never known.

Touching on his Southern roots, Meet the Browns puts class divides at the forefront of the story and is largely carried by Bassett’s strong performance. Perry also pulled double-duty as Madea and a man named Joe, but the ever-popular pistol-packing granny was somewhat more sedated than in previous films. Still, while this meant that Meet the Browns isn’t as beloved as some other entries in the Madea franchise, it still stands as a solid rom-com in its own right.

5 Madea Goes To Jail (2009)

The 2009 Movie Features Recognizable Names Like Viola Davis & Sofia Vergara

In the year following her cameo in 2008’s Meet the Browns, Madea was the star of her own feature film once again in 2009’s Madea Goes To Jail. Many critics may have been unfairly harsh on the movies, but fans clearly loved it, as it was a huge hit at the box office. The proof was in the pudding with the Madea movies, and Madea Goes to Jail returned the character to the center of the story where she belonged.

While serving time for eluding the police, Madea (Perry) takes an incarcerated woman named Candace (Keshia Knight Pulliam) under her wing with a bit of tough love. Filled with many of Madea’s most memorable quotes, Madea Goes to Jail found the right balance between heart and sidesplitting humor. The film also added a bit more star power with appearances from Viola Davis, Sofia Vergara, and Vanessa Ferlito.

6 I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)

The First Madea Play Was Adapted Into The Fifth Madea Movie

2009 saw two Madea movies, and the second was an adapation of the first time Tyler Perry debuted the Madea character on stage. Though the play of the same name was the actual debut of the character, the 2009 adaptation came a bit later in the order of Madea movies. I Can Do Bad All by Myself follows nightclub singer April (Taraji P. Henson) as she finds herself the guardian of three wayward kids and must learn responsibility.

Madea returned to the background, but the film lost nothing because of its tight plotting and strong script. Henson commanded the screen as April, and the movie was the first film in the series to earn decent reviews from critics (via Rotten Tomatoes). Tyler Perry directed I Can Do All Bad By Myself, and alongside playing Madea he also reprized his role as her brother Joe. While it’s markedly different in tone from Mades Goes To Jail, it’s still a solid entry in the character’s franchise.

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7 Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011)

Tyler Perry Is Supported By A Strong Ensemble Cast

It was another two years before Madea appeared in another film, though it was once again with the popular Tyler Perry character in the titular role — the 2011 comedy Madea’s Big Happy Family, which was also based on one of Perry’s plays. The sixth film in the ever-expanding series of Madea movies, Madea’s Big Happy Family is also one of the most underrated. Shirley (Loretta Devine) receives bad news about her health, but her adult-aged children are too preoccupied with their own lives to be there for their ailing mother.

Madea serves an important role in the story as comic relief and its driving force, but the ensemble cast didn’t need Madea’s antics to shine. The story was a strong look at modern family dynamics, but it mostly stumbled because of its shifting tone which wildly vacillated from comedy to drama. Madea’s Big Happy Family wasn’t the critical or box-office success of some of the previous entries in the franchise, though it still has its fans.

8 Madea’s Witness Protection (2012)

Eugene Levy Steals The Show In A Contrived Plot

Another Madea movie arrived a year after Madea’s Big Happy Family, though once again 2012’s Madea’s Witness Protection failed to have the financial or critical impact of Madea Goes To Jail.Madea’s Witness Protection attempted to expand the outlook of the series, but it largely missed what made the other films so memorable. Framed as part of a massive Ponzi scheme, banker George (Eugene Levy) is entered into federal witness protection where he and his family are whipped into shape by Madea (Perry).

Though the comedic styling of iconic funnyman Eugene Levy added a bit of extra impact to the jokes, the contrived plot was too much for a Madea movie and Witness Protection lacked the heart that made the others so soulful. Tyler Perry wrote and directed Madea’s Witness Protection, and as well as playing Madea also reprized his role as her brother Joe and also played Madea’s nephew Brian.

9 A Madea Christmas (2013)

Madea Elevates A By-The-Numbers Christmas Movie

Continuing with releasing a new Madea movie each year, Tyler Perry also took the franchise in a fitting direction given how many films were in it by 2013 with a seasonal special, A Madea Christmas. Though it was thoroughly skewered by critics (via Rotten Tomatoes), A Madea Christmas managed to be a great holiday movie in its own way. Madea visits Lacey (Tika Sumpter) for the holidays and the family matriarch soon learns that Lacey has secretly married a white man named Connor (Chad Michael Murray).

The clash of cultures is at the heart of the story, and the movie makes light commentary on the differences between its characters. Ultimately, Madea’s personality resurrects what is a stock-standard Christmas movie, and co-stars Kathy Najimi and Larry the Cable Guy play wonderfully off of Perry’s charm. While A Madea Christmas Movie doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to Holiday films or Madea movies, it still stands as a solid comedy as far as many franchise fans are concerned.

10 Madea’s Tough Love (2015)

The 2015 Release Is The Only Animated Madea Movie

2015 saw the release of one of the most intriguing Madea movies so far, and one that still stands out among the incredibly populous franchise – Madea’s Tough Love. In her first and only animated feature film to date, Madea’s Tough Love was familiar to the other Madea movies in terms of story but told in an entirely new way. After catching community service, Madea (Perry) volunteers at a youth shelter and is determined to keep it from getting shut down.

Playful and energetic, the film injected new life into the character and tackled difficult issues like juvenile crime and poverty. It brought around many familiar characters like Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis) and allowed Perry and company to show off their vocal talents. Tyler Perry produced Madea’s Tough Love, though he didn’t write the screenplay and directorial duties were handled by Frank Morino. Once again, Perry also reprized his roles as Joe and Brian Simmons alongside Madea.

11 Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)

The Halloween Movie Perfectly Captures The Family Vibe During Spooky Season

The 2016 Madea movie, Boo! A Madea Halloween is one of the most popular in the wider franchise, and the idea was such a hit with fans that it even spawned a direct sequel to once again showcase how funny Madea could be during the spookiest time of the eyar. Much in the same way that A Madea Christmas brought the sassy grandma’s signature energy to the holidays, Boo! A Madea Halloween saw her take on the spooky season.

After breaking up a college party, Madea finds herself scared out of her wits by the disgruntled college students. Though it did little to expand Tyler Perry’s Madea cinematic universe, it was endlessly fun to see Madea caught off guard. Many Halloween movies have attempted to capture that perfect family vibe, but Boo! A Madea Halloween largely succeeded where others have failed.

Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween

Director

Tyler Perry

Release Date

October 21, 2016

Writers

Tyler Perry

Cast

Bella Thorne , Liza Koshy , Yousef Erakat , Tyler Perry , Brock O’Hurn , Patrice Lovely , Andre Hall , Cassi Davis , Diamond White , Lexy Panterra

12 Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)

Capitalizes On The Success Of Its Predecessor But Fails To Recapture The Magic

2017 saw the next Madea movie from Tyler Perry, and it was a direct sequel to the holiday-centric Boo! A Madea Halloween. Unfortunately though, unlike its predecessor, Boo 2! A Madea Halloween tried too hard to be something that it wasn’t, and the spirit of the character was lost in unintentional farce. While it wasn’t a bad movie per say, it didn’t live up to the brilliance of Madea’s first Halloween installment, and it’s quite clear why there was never a Boo 3! in the Madea franchise.

Tiffany (Diamond White) attends a Halloween party in the woods, and Madea frantically attempts to save her from the same fate that befell a group of teens years earlier. With the scares ramped up, the laughs mostly fell flat and there was a lack of conviction within the cast. The first Halloween-themed Madea movie had heart, but Boo 2! had a cynical quality that was new to the franchise.

Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

Director

Tyler Perry

Release Date

October 20, 2017

Writers

Tyler Perry

Cast

Cassi Davis , Lexy Panterra , Taja V. Simpson , Tyler Perry , Diamond White , Yousef Erakat , Tito Ortiz , Brock O’Hurn , Patrice Lovely , Andre Hall , Inanna Sarkis

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13 A Madea Family Funeral (2019)

Originally Planned To End The Madea Franchise

It would be another two years before Tyler Perry made another Madea movie and, at the time, Tyler Perry had intended it to be a conclusion of the franchise and an opportunity to retire the character. 2017’s A Madea Family Funeral could have been a return to form for the franchise, but it missed opportunities to recapture the heart of earlier movies. Thinking she is attending a family gathering, Madea is actually conned into going to an elaborate funeral that dredges up bad memories.

Originally intended to conclude the Madea series, A Madea Family Funeral had dramatic storylines to go along with its humor, but struggled to strike a balance between the two. Perry didn’t miss a beat as Madea though, and it found box office success (via Box Office Mojo). Perry once again wrote and directed, and also reprised his roles as Joe and Brian Simmons. He also played another Simmons sibling in this installment — Heathrow Simmons, Joe and Madea’s paraplegic brother.

A Madea Family Funeral

A joyous family reunion becomes a hilarious nightmare as Madea and the crew travel to the backwoods of Georgia, where they find themselves unexpectedly planning a funeral that might unveil unsavory family secrets. Tyler Perry has stated he intends this to be the final time he plays the Madea character. Filming took place in 2017.

Release Date

March 1, 2019

Director

Tyler Perry

Cast

Patrice Lovely , Quin Walters , Courtney Burrell , Cassi Davis , Kj Smith , Jen Harper , Tyler Perry , Ciera Payton , David Otunga , Aeriél Miranda , Mike Tyson , Rome Flynn

14 A Madea Homecoming (2022)

A Crossover Event With Mrs. Brown’s Boys

The most recent Madea movie arrived in 2022, and was, somewhat surprisingly, a crossover with a UK sitcom. The Netflix exclusive film A Madea Homecoming continued the franchise after the supposed ending in Family Funeral, and it mostly delivered what fans had come to expect. Madea’s great-grandson Davi (Isha Blaaker) throws a college graduation party, but family drama arrives to ruin the fun.

Ostensibly a crossover film, A Madea Homecoming also saw Brendan O’Carroll play his iconic Agnes Brown character from the Irish sitcom Mrs. Brown’s Boys. Unlike previous movies though, the dramatic elements felt forced and unnecessary, while the humor was pleasant fan service for enthusiasts of the Madea movies and the aforementioned British series.