Tyler Perry is taking us to church this holiday season. The first look at Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas is here, and the Netflix film stars R&B heavyweights Tank and Fantasia alongside a cast of gospel legends.
The Story: Faith, Family and a Church on the Line
Tank plays Isaac, a struggling pastor who inherits his family’s church in a troubled New York neighborhood. Fantasia plays his wife, Rebecca, and the two have to hold on to their faith, their marriage and their community while trying to save the church. The film premieres on Netflix on Wednesday, November 11.
Perry wrote and directed the film and produces it with Angi Bones and Tony L. Strickland. When he announced the project on X, he joked about the places his recent Netflix films have taken viewers before inviting fans along: “now come on go with me to church!!!” That “prison” reference points to Doing Life, which arrived on Netflix earlier this month.
A Gospel Cast to Match
The supporting cast is a who’s who of gospel music: CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, Fred Hammond, The Clark Sisters, Smokie Norful, Jekalyn Carr, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Ann Nesby, Le’Andria Johnson and Hezekiah Walker. R&B singer Chanté Moore also appears, along with Ricco Ross, John Gray, Carl Lentz, Mason Douglas, Lauren Chanel and Eric Wiltz.
The music is in Kirk Franklin’s hands. He’s handling the film’s music, so expect choir-heavy holiday sound.
For Fantasia, it’s another chance to show the acting chops fans saw in her big-screen run as Celie in The Color Purple. For Tank, it’s a leading role built around the faith and family themes his fans already connect with in his music.
Why it matters: Holiday movies with Black families at the center are now a seasonal tradition, and Perry, whose studio is based right here in Atlanta, keeps giving Netflix audiences new ones. This film also puts R&B and gospel stars from different generations on screen together.
Catching up on Perry’s Netflix universe? Revisit our exclusive Jordan With The Juice interview with Amber Reign on Beauty in Black.
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Sources: TheGrio, Majic 107.5/97.5, TylerPerry.com
