On August 6th, Tyler Perry will preview his passion project A Jazzman’s Blues at Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Fest and will include a series of clips and a conversation presentation. The project is written and directed by Perry, who recently commented about it and his partnership with Netflix:

“I have waited a quarter of a century to tell this story, and now is the perfect time and Netflix is the perfect partner. That is my labor of love; the one that I want to do more than anything.”

Set in the post-World War II South, A Jazzman’s Blues follows a young Black jazz singer as he leaves his rural hometown searching for fame. Here is the official logline for the movie:

“Set from 1937 to 1987, an investigation into an unsolved murder unveils a story full of forbidden love, deceit, and a secret that has been held for 40 years.”

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According to Georgia area reporting, the movie was filmed entirely in Atlanta and Savannah around Cotton Avenue, Second Street, Mulberry Street, and Cherry Street, with some filming taking place at Tyler Perry Studios. Following the conclusion of filming, Perry took to social media to express what the project meant for him:

“About 26 years ago, I was struggling and not sure if I would be able to break into the entertainment business. I had managed to sneak into (cause I was broke) a play called Seven Guitars, and I got a chance to speak with the great August Wilson at an after-party. I didn’t know how he would receive me because the kind of plays I was doing weren’t Broadway, but he was so kind, encouraging, and inspiring that I went home and wrote my very first screenplay. I called it A Jazzman’s Blues.”

Among those cast in the movie are Joshua Boone (Wheels), Solea Pfeiffer (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist), Milauna Jackson (Dexter), Amira Vann (Underground), Austin Scott (Pose), Cody Pressley (The First Lady), Brent Antonello (S.W.A.T.), and E. Roger Mitchell (The Hunger Games). Originally, in 1995, Tyler Perry intended the movie to star himself, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Diana Ross, and Ben Kingsley. According to reports, the movie will have an R rating with an aim for a September 2022 Netflix release.

This collaboration will add to Perry’s other Netflix projects, including A Fall From Grace, A Madea Homecoming and Fatal Affair. He also starred in Don’t Look Up.