Tyler Perry was preparing to bring one of his most beloved film franchises back to the screen when a painful accident nearly complicated the entire production.
The filmmaker revealed that he broke his collarbone in a bicycle accident just two weeks before filming began on “Why Did I Get Married Again?,” the long-awaited third installment in his popular relationship drama franchise.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Perry said he still moved forward with production, balancing the demands of writing, directing and acting while trying to protect his injured shoulder.
It did not take long for one warning to become familiar across the set.
“Watch my shoulder,” Perry recalled telling cast members.
The phrase reportedly became so common that his co-stars eventually made it the name of their group chat.
A Major Dance Scene Made the Injury Even Harder to Manage
Perry said the injury became especially difficult during one of the movie’s largest sequences, a major dance scene that required him to direct the ensemble while also performing.
As cast members moved around him, Perry repeatedly reminded everyone to be careful around his shoulder. The moment added another layer of difficulty to a production in which he was already juggling several responsibilities behind and in front of the camera.
Perry has previously described the bicycle accident in more graphic detail, saying he went over the handlebars while riding in Italy and suffered a severe collarbone break that ultimately required surgery.
Credit : Chip Bergmann/Perry Well Films 2/Netflix
Still, production continued.
The Original Friends Return With a New Generation
“Why Did I Get Married Again?” brings several familiar faces back nearly two decades after the franchise began.
Jill Scott, Richard T. Jones, Michael Jai White, Tasha Smith, Lamman Rucker and Sharon Leal return alongside Perry. Taraji P. Henson joins the ensemble as a franchise newcomer. Perry’s official cast announcement also includes Armani Greer, Everett Osborne, Da’Vinchi, Laya Deleon Hayes, Jaden Michael, Charles L. Smith II, Derrick A. King and Sydney Winbush.
The film reunites the longtime friends for a destination wedding involving the next generation of their families. Netflix says Marcus and Angela’s daughter is preparing to get married, forcing the adults to confront an uncomfortable reality: Their children have grown up to resemble them in more ways than they may have expected.
That new chapter gives the franchise room to revisit its central question from a different stage of life.
Perry said he is eager for audiences to see how the characters have matured and how their relationships have endured difficult seasons. He described the film as a reminder that people grow and that marriage can look very different with age and experience than it does when people are young.
The original “Why Did I Get Married?” debuted in 2007, followed by “Why Did I Get Married Too?” in 2010. The new film marks the franchise’s return after more than 15 years.
“Why Did I Get Married Again?” premieres Sept. 9 on Netflix.
