Tyler Perry Promises ‘Duplicity’ Is a “Wild Ass Ride” Unlike Anything He’s Done Before
In Tyler Perry’s Duplicity, the famed multi-hyphenate Tyler Perry takes viewers on a wild journey where twists and turns are an understatement. What you think you know about a person may be anything but. What you think about a story may be anything, but Tyler Perry’s Duplicity begins through the lens of the shocking murder of a Black man at the hands of a white police officer. Marley (Kat Graham), a high-powered attorney, makes it her mission to seek justice for her best friend Fela’s (Meagan Tandy) husband’s death. But the further down the path she goes, the more secrets she uncovers, revealing that the people who are closest to her may have another side to them.
Speaking about his new film, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Mr. Perry reveals where the synergy of the piece came from and why he brought this story to life now. “It’s just to escape from your own reality and just peek into somebody else’s and let their s— be so crazy that you don’t have to think about your own,” the writer-director-producer said.
‘Tyler Perry’s Duplicity’ Was Born Out of Frustration
To sum up his film in three words, the acclaimed director simply said, “Wild ass ride” — and he’s right. The story that Mr. Perry takes the audience on is completely unexpected. At the start of the film, one might think they’re watching a poignant dissertation on the police state in America. But that’s just the entry point. From there, he weaves his characters through a story that hits upon other themes.
“This film was born out of characters showing up in my head and me being frustrated with people hijacking movements for whatever purpose; good, bad, right or wrong.” Part of his writing process is just writing. He shared that he doesn’t necessarily know when he will release or film the piece he’s creating, but as for the timing of this film, he said, “It’s going to be really interesting to see how this all plays out.”
With over 30 years on stage, Mr. Perry’s fascination with people and the inherent flaws inside is at the forefront of Tyler Perry’s Duplicity. Being in front of his audience and understanding them has helped him dictate what they wanted to see. If they wanted to go down a twisted path via a mystery, as this film does, he was going to do so. “Sometimes I would do so many twists on the stage they’d just go nuts, so I know that works for my audience, and they’re really excited about those kind of things.”
Mr. Perry certainly delivered in the twist department. The ending, dare I say, is unexpected. “I think it’s the same thing that’s going on with this true crime genre that has exploded over the years. People want to see these kinds of stories get solved. They want to know the twists and the turns. The great thing about what I did is it’s all fictional. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that people are watching that are about real people.”
Tyler Perry Discusses Working with the ‘Duplicity’ Cast and Crew
The cast of Tyler Perry’s Duplicity is a mix of actors the director has collaborated with in the past, as well as one notable new addition to the Tyler Perry family: Kat Graham.
“I hadn’t worked with Kat Graham, but I’ve wanted to for a very, very long time because she’s so amazing. I’m so excited that she said yes to this.” Graham takes on the lead role of Marley, the high-powered attorney destined to uncover the truth of the murder at the top of the film. She joins a cast of actors that he enjoys featuring in his projects. “If you see me working with the same person a lot, I really, really like working with them. They’re not only great people, but they treat the crew well. That’s very important to me. You gotta treat the crew well and everybody around you.”
Speaking of the crew, Mr. Perry is notorious for working with the same brilliant crew project after project. In fact, it’s gotten to the point where he’s developed a shorthand with his team to help foster a strong working environment. “Me and my first AD, we can look across the room, and he knows what I’m thinking. And the same with my DPs. We have this shorthand of how we speak, so there’s no downtime with all the other stuff. When the actors get together, giving them the time they need to flow into what scene we’re doing.”
Even though the topic was tense, Mr. Perry tried to keep it light on set. Beyond that, as much as the cast learned from him, he learned from them, through his crew. “What I learned from my crew is what the cast are like when they’re not on set. And that is really important to me. Because how you treat my crew is really important to me. They don’t know, but they tell me everything.”
So why Tyler Perry’s Duplicity now? “For me, it’s escapism. With so much going on in the world, it’s the reason I’m doing another comedy. It’s just to escape from your own reality and just peek into somebody else’s and let their sh— be so crazy that you don’t have to think about your own.“
