Apparently wig-gate wasn’t enough to stop the Tyler Perry train from rolling.
Despite the criticism that ensued after the Atlanta-based movie mogul’s film, “A Fall From Grace,” debuted on Netflix last month, viewers eagerly tuned in to see it. To be exact, 26 million people streamed the film in its first week.
» RELATED: Social media can't stop talking about Tyler Perry's 'A Fall From Grace'
Perry shared a video on his various social media platforms Monday thanking his “army” for standing behind him and generating such big viewership for the Crystal Fox-starring vehicle.
"I'm trying to take all this in," he began. "My Tyler Perry audience — the army that's standing behind me — one day, they gon' realize that I don't walk alone because y'all are with me. I am so blown away by what I just heard."
» RELATED: How a Tyler Perry speech inspired a podcasting platform
“My heart is full. I’m grateful, I’m humbled by it,” Perry added. “I’ve always wanted my movies to open around the world, and that was the first time. So thank you Netflix, thank you. I saw you all around the world watching. So, thank you.”
In the film, Fox portrays a woman who finds love after her husband’s affair but things take a violent turn.
The movie's first-week viewership matches that of another much-buzzed about Netflix film, 2018's "Bird Box." The drama/thriller also saw 26 million viewers tune in during the first week, Deadline reported the streaming platform had announced in a rare move. "The Irishman," a 10-time Oscar-nominated crime/drama directed by Martin Scorsese, meanwhile, had 17 million viewers watch it during its first week in 2019.
» RELATED: Tyler Perry: 'I don't have time to wait' on the right kind of wig on set
Perry’s thank you to his supporters follows criticism that emerged after his film began streaming. Many online reacted to the behavior of the background actors — a diner patron sipped from an empty glass — and mocked the actors’ wigs. The latter was a point of contention between Perry and Fox as the director explained during a January press junket.
“We had a knock down, drag out argument about the wigs in one of the scenes,” Perry said. “It was very emotional for (Fox).”
About the Author
