Tyler Perry Joins David Fincher's 'Gone Girl' As First 'A Madea Christmas' Poster Arrives

There are essentially two sides to the Tyler Perry media empire, and both have reached wildly different levels of success. On the one hand, Perry has secured himself as a giant in the field of African-American cinema, with his Madea franchise the extremely lucrative centerpiece. Of course it revolves around him dressing like Mrs. Doubtfire, but you can't blame the guy for doing whatever it takes to bring in the green. And then there's the other side, which sees Perry attempting to prove he's a legit actor who can do more than tuck in his junk under a dress. So far he's been less than convincing, but he's about to get another chance to impress as part of David Fincher's anticipated adaptation of Gone Girl.

Deadline reports that Perry, Patrick Fugit, Kim Dickens (At Any Price), and Carrie Coon have joined the big screen version of Gillian Flynn's bestselling novel. Ben Affleck is set to play Nick Dunne, a former New York City journalist who returns home to Missouri to start over, only to have his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) vanish on their fifth wedding anniversary. Considering their troubled marriage, he's immediately made the prime suspect. Perry will play Nick's high-powered defense attorney, with Fugit and Dickens as detectives investigating the case. Coon, a Tony-nominated Broadway vet, will make her feature debut as Nick's twin sister. Neil Patrick also seems to finally be confirmed as Desi, a mysterious figure from Amy's past. Gone Girl should begin filming soon and hit theaters next year.

Even if Perry fails to impress in Gone Girl, a distinct possibility given his track record, he's still got Madea to fall back on. The first poster for his latest cross-dressing effort Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas has been released, and you can probably figure out the plot all by yourself. Family secrets are revealed as Madea spends the holiday with a friend at her daughter's rural home. *yawn*  Opening on December 13th, the film stars Kathy Najimy, Chad Michael Murray, Anna Maria Horsford, Tika Sumpter, Eric Lively, Alicia Witt, Larry the Cable Guy, and The Facts of Life's Lisa Whelchel.