Tyler Perry prepares to broaden his empire

August 14, 2008 He's got a top-rated TV show, another about to be announced and 11 boxoffice-busting stage plays. With the momentum of a new studio deal, the 38-year-old New Orleans native is setting the stage for a lucrative but potentially risky brand extension beyond the millions of black fans who are loyal to his faith-and-family oeuvre -- and the sass-spouting, pistol-packing, sixtysomething alter ego Madea that Perry often plays in the movies and onstage. The first steps in Perry's latest push: "The Family That Preys," out Sept. 12, features both black and white lead characters -- a first for the filmmaker.

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