‘A Madea Family Funeral’ Comes to Life With $1.1 Million at Thursday Box Office

Final film in Tyler Perry’s “Madea” franchise opens on approximately 2,400 screens this weekend

Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral
Lionsgate/Photo by Chip Bergman

“Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral,” the final film in director, writer and star Tyler Perry’s Madea franchise of films, earned $1.1 million in Thursday box office previews from 2,100 screens. It’s opening on approximately 2,400 screens this weekend.

“Madea Family Funeral” is the 10th (though it’s the character’s 11th appearance) and last film in the franchise that features Perry as the wise-cracking old woman Madea. The movie is being released by Lionsgate and is projected by independent trackers for an opening weekend between $18-20 million, which would place it among the lowest openings of the franchise.

The last “Madea” film, “Boo 2! A Madea Halloween,” grossed only $760,000 on its way to a $21.2 million opening back in October of 2017. The lowest opening weekend for any “Madea” film was 2013’s “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas,” which opened to only $16 million after earning just $278,000.

Last year, “Tyler Perry’s Acrimony” took in $1 million in Thursday previews ahead of it $17.1 million opening weekend. Last month, the Taraji P. Henson remake “What Men Want,” another comedy with an African American-led cast, took in $1.25 million earlier in February leading into a $18.2 million weekend. So “Family Funeral’s” total represents a strong start for the franchise finale.

“A Madea Family Funeral” sees Madea return to Georgia for yet another family reunion, which ends up going so badly that she has to plan an unexpected funeral. Along the way, unsavory secrets arise that threaten to split up the family for good. As with all installments in the series, the film is written, directed and co-produced by Perry, with longtime series co-stars Cassi Davis and Patrice Lovely also joining the cast.

“Family Funeral” opens opposite the psychological thriller “Greta,” starring Chloe Moretz and Isabelle Huppert from director Neil Jordan. Focus Features is releasing the film on approximately 2,000 screens, and independent trackers are projecting an opening of about $6 million.

It will also have to contend with several Oscar-winning films returning to theaters and going wide again this weekend, including Best Picture winner “Green Book” expanding to 2,600 screens and Best Animated Feature winner “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” moving back into 2,404 screens. “Green Book” has already grossed $144 million worldwide on a $23 million budget, and “Spider-Verse” has earned $360.7 million worldwide as of Wednesday.

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