Billionaire Tyler Perry signs multi-year deal to build virtual production stage at Atlanta studio

Tyler Perry Studios has signed a multi-year agreement with Synapse Virtual Production to develop and operate a virtual production soundstage on its Atlanta campus, converting an existing stage to LED volume technology.

The facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2026. It will feature an Extended-J LED volume measuring roughly 74 feet wide by 23 feet high, with close to 196 linear feet of LED walls capable of displaying photorealistic digital environments in real time.

"I'm paying close attention to what these tools can do, and I'm also thinking about the people who make this industry work," Perry said. "This collaboration is about moving forward in a way that keeps crews working and traditional production jobs intact while also allowing creatives new ways to build worlds and tell stories for the big and small screens."

How the technology changes the workflow

Virtual production differs from green screen work by capturing digital backgrounds in camera during principal photography. Cinematographers, directors and visual effects teams see final-quality environments on set rather than waiting for post-production, which gives greater control over lighting, reflections and camera movement.

The stage will allow elaborate interior settings to be used without building sets, and exteriors to be filmed regardless of weather.

Synapse will oversee operation of the stage and provide a full suite of services including virtual art department support, Unreal Engine workflows, camera tracking and on-set technical operations. The company uses artificial intelligence tools for look development, asset iteration and environment capture.

"Our mission at Synapse is to bridge the gap between imagination and innovation," said Justin Diener, chief executive of Synapse. He described the partnership as a defining moment for both companies.

Synapse operates a virtual production stage at LA Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles and has a further facility planned for New York. It served as a production service partner for Artists Equity on "The Rip" and "The Accountant 2" and has won Clio and London International awards for advertising work.

A campus built for scale

The soundstage sits on the 365-acre Tyler Perry Studios site in Atlanta, which Perry acquired in 2015 and opened in 2019. The campus is a former military base and includes sound stages, backlots and production support facilities.

Like other facilities on the lot, the Synapse stage will be available to third-party productions as well as Perry's own. The studio has hosted "Civil War", "The Six Triple Eight", "A Madea Homecoming" and "Acrimony", among dozens of productions.

"The addition of a cutting-edge LED volume with Synapse technology and experienced operation is another major step in expanding the world-class production resources available at Tyler Perry Studios," said John Morris, an executive at the studio.

Beau Flynn, a producer who advises Synapse, said the collaboration makes Atlanta a stronger home for filmmakers while keeping the process crew-led.

Atlanta production has been falling

The investment comes as Georgia's production volumes have declined over the past two years, with studios pulling back on spending and productions shifting to jurisdictions offering deeper incentives. Perry has positioned the facility partly as an effort to draw work back to the city.

Perry has built an unusual position in the American film industry by owning his content outright rather than working through studio financing. He writes, directs and produces much of his own output, and the Atlanta lot gives him control of the physical infrastructure as well. Forbes designated him a billionaire in 2020, with the library of television series and films he owns forming the core of that valuation.

His studio was among the first in the United States to restart filming during the pandemic under Covid protocols, using a campus quarantine model.

The new stage will support feature films, television series, commercials, music videos, livestreams, immersive experiences and digital media projects.