Created by actor and playwright Tyler Perry, Madea movies have grossed over half a billion dollars, spawning several spin-off TV shows, plays, and even an animated feature. But with so many projects across several mediums, it’s hard to keep track of them all, so let’s make it easier and list all of the franchise’s features in release order.
Madea movies are definitely an acquired taste but there is no denying the success they have garnered over the past two decades. Tyler Perry first created the character of Madea as an homage to his mom and aunt, describing Madea as the ‘PG version’ of how they really were. He debuted Madea in the 1999 play Diary of a Mad Black Woman which he then turned in the first Madea movie in 2005. The chainsaw-wielding grandma Mable “Madea” Simmons has since been going to jail, kicking ass and shouting her way out of trouble since 2005, making a special place in the African-American community.
But back to the question at hand: How many Madea movies are there, and what was the order of their release?
All Madea movies in chronological order
Except for the latest release in the franchise, A Madea Homecoming, which has come out on Netflix, all other outings have had reasonable success at the box office but mostly in the domestic market. 2009’s Madea Goes to Jail has been the most commercially successful movie in the franchise, grossing $90,508,336 at the box office.
With 13 entries in the series, the success of the movies has remained consistent, showing that Tyler Perry’s over-the-top absurdism has found its audience. Disguised as wacky comedies, Madea movies usually incorporate serious themes and messages too, dealing with infidelity and spousal abuse as well as facing the consequences of one’s actions. The character has been retired before, but since Tyler Perry can bring her out with a flick of his fingers — as he did with Homecoming — he might continue to make even more Madea features. As it stands, though, Madea has been in 13 movies, all of which are listed below:
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
- Madea’s Family Reunion (2006)
- Meet the Browns (cameo) (2008)
- Madea Goes to Jail (2009)
- I Can Do Bad All by Myself (2009)
- Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011)
- Madea’s Witness Protection (2012)
- A Madea Christmas (2013)
- Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Tough Love (2015)
- Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)
- Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)
- A Madea Family Funeral (2019)
- A Madea Homecoming (2022)
So that’s it for all the Madea movies in order. But there are TV show spin-offs like Madea’s Big Happy Family if you want to keep up with the real MCU… the Madea Cinematic Universe!
