Tyler Perry reveals he felt 'under attack' making Netflix faith film: 'The most difficult film I've ever made'

Tyler Perry has spent decades writing, directing and producing films that explore faith and redemption, but according to the entertainment mogul, his latest project, "The Gospel of Christmas," was the most difficult film he has ever made.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Perry revealed that he encountered unexpected obstacles while writing and producing the Netflix musical drama, which brings together some of gospel music's biggest names to tell a story about a struggling pastor, the power of prayer, spiritual warfare and the importance of holding on to faith.

"I got to tell you, this was the most difficult film I've ever had to film," Perry told CP. "It was the most simple, simple one, but it was also the most difficult one. I just could not understand why I had so much trouble writing the script or getting this out. I just felt under attack."

It wasn't until Perry stepped away from the editing process and watched the completed film that he said he began to understand why the project had been so challenging.

"Watching it and seeing it for the first time, when I got it all together and really sat down and removed myself from all the editing of it all and just watched it after it was all done, I realized why it's so powerful," he said. "I think it's going to touch so many lives. I think it has an anointing on it that people will feel as they're watching it. So that's what I wanted it to do, and that's what I'm excited about."

Premiering Nov. 11 on Netflix, "The Gospel of Christmas" stars Grammy-winning singer Fantasia Barrino Taylor and R&B artist Durrell "Tank" Babbs as Rebecca and Isaac, a married couple attempting to revive a struggling church in a troubled New York City neighborhood.

Written and directed by Perry, the film follows Isaac, a pastor who inherits his family's church and finds himself battling financial pressures, temptation, personal doubts and nefarious forces threatening his congregation and family. As the church's future hangs in the balance, Isaac must rediscover his dependence on God and the power of prayer, including through his desperate prayers for his son, Esau, to speak.

The film features an ensemble of gospel music legends, including CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, Shirley Caesar, Jekalyn Carr, Smokie Norful, Hezekiah Walker and the Clark Sisters. Grammy-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin oversees the music.

Perry, who revealed that some of the songs in the film got him through some of the “darkest moments” of his life, “The Gospel of Christmas” was born out of a desire to assure audiences that faith can serve as a source of hope amid darkness.

"I think it's so important that people remember that there is hope, there is salvation," he said. "There is everything we're dealing with. There is an answer, and prayer is one of them."

"Prayer was so important to me, and I loved all of these songs, and they've been ones that have really helped me through some really difficult times," he continued. "So I wanted to involve and invite all of these incredible gospel artists and make this simply about faith and prayer and holding on to what you know."

One of the film's central messages is that prayer doesn't require elaborate language; in one pivotal scene, Isaac is reminded that even the simple words "Lord, help me" are a powerful prayer. 

According to Perry, those words have sustained him in his own life. The Atlanta resident reflected on his late mother's faith and the struggles that defined his childhood and early adulthood.

"Back in the day, there was a song that we used to sing that says, 'If I can't say a word, I'll just wave my hand.' And my mother used to love that song," he recalled. "Sometimes things would just be so heavy and so difficult for us that she would just be in church waving her hand. And I knew that was her prayer, her cry out to God."

Perry, who has spoken publicly about experiencing abuse during his childhood and periods of homelessness before finding success in entertainment, said there were seasons when he, too, had little more to offer God than a silent plea for help.

"I think part of the most difficult parts of my life were clearly childhood and then growing up into young adulthood and becoming homeless and trying to figure out, you know, how I was going to get to this place that I am now in life," he said. "But yeah, a lot of those were times when I didn't even have the words to pray, and all I could do was just wave my hand."

The film also doesn’t sugarcoat the imperfections of Christians and church leaders, who are shown wrestling with pride, temptation, doubt and personal failure. Perry said this was intentional; far too often, he said, Christians can condemn others for their mistakes, forgetting that Scripture itself is filled with people who failed.

"I think if you look at everybody in the Bible that God used greatly, they were all deeply flawed, except Jesus," he said. "Everybody was deeply flawed, and I think that as people who are believers and Christians, we sometimes come down too hard on people who make mistakes. When the truth of the matter is, we all make mistakes. Every one of us.”

"It's very important that we all do our best to not only hold up what we believe to be the bloodstained banner, but also show that the blood covers and there's grace, and we can show grace and compassion to people."

The film briefly features former Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz, whose highly publicized fall from ministry following revelations of infidelity and other allegations sparked widespread conversations both inside and outside the church. 

In the film, Lentz appears as a pastor who speaks to others about his past failures and the importance of receiving God's grace.

Perry, who has a personal relationship with Lentz and his wife, Laura, said he wanted to give the former pastor an opportunity to demonstrate that failure doesn't necessarily mark the end of a person's story.

"I absolutely love and adore Carl and his wife, and from the moment all of this stuff started to happen, my heart went out to them," Perry said. "In the beginning — now they're doing great — but in the beginning, I wanted to make sure that they had a safe space so that they could figure out what they needed. I think that's what a lot of us should do in church: is to lean in when there's trouble, or lean in when someone makes a mistake … to see him be able to come out on the other side of that, I wanted that to speak to anybody else who may be going through [something]."

Beyond its message of grace, "The Gospel of Christmas" also confronts spiritual warfare and the dangers of allowing temptation and discouragement to gain a foothold during seasons of intense pressure.

Perry, who heads Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, said one of the most important lessons he has learned about protecting his spiritual life is the necessity of withdrawing from distractions to spend time alone with God.

"I think it's very important to have those moments where you can completely steal away and shut down, shut out all the noise so that you can hear from God," the “Madea” actor said. "Man, I do that often. It's so important for me to just stop what I'm doing, walk away from the noise, and just see where God is taking me and what He's saying."

"I think that can only be heard in prayer and away from the madness of everyday life," he said. "Sometimes I find it in nature. I find it near the water. I find it out in solitude in the mountains, where I can just be and hear. That's what's so important to me."

The film is the latest faith-centered project from Perry, whose studio announced a partnership with Christian producer DeVon Franklin and Netflix in 2024 to develop films rooted in faith. The collaboration also produced "Ruth & Boaz," a contemporary reimagining of the Old Testament love story.

Perry said he hopes audiences who watch "The Gospel of Christmas" leave with a renewed understanding that God is accessible even in moments of desperation. Extraordinary faith, he added, isn’t required to experience His presence in a real way.

"What I would hope is that after people finish watching the film, they will walk away with the understanding that God is real, God is there," he said. "And no matter what's happening, just even if you don't know how to say some eloquent prayer or you don't know the Bible very well, 'Lord, help me' is a prayer. Just acknowledging that God is there is a prayer."

"When people talk about mustard seed faith, that doesn't mean you have mountaintop faith," Perry said. "It means small little moments can mean great things when you have faith."