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With its release date just about 5 months away, a little bird tells me that we should expect to see the first teaser/trailer for Tyler Perry's Alex Cross any day now. Ohhh goody! 🙂

But in all seriousness, as I've said before, I'm genuinely intrigued by this project, partly because I have absolutely no idea what to expect. This is brand new territory for Tyler Perry, and since it was first announced that he would star in the film about a year ago, or so, many have doubted his ability to convincingly play the character. 

I admit, at first, I was certainly in that group – first disapppointed that Idris Elba (who was originally attached to star in it) had excused himself from the project, and then shocked that Tyler Perry had stepped in to take over.

But since then, I've taken the old "wait-and-see" approach. Who knows, he just may surprise us… or he may not. But that first trailer will be everything! Some of those questions we have will be answered in those first 2 1/2 minutes, and so, yeah, I'm anxious to see it.

I initially figured it would be attached to prints of Madea's Witness Protection, since it's another Tyler Perry film, but I'm not so sure the audience for one is the same audience for the other. Remember, as he says in the on-set video below, he's branching out, trying to reach a new audience; so Alex Cross may not be for his faithful pious fanbase… what will they make of this non-Madea, non-heavy-handed morality play?

I dunno. All I can say is that, on average his Madea films have done much better than his non-Madea films, so the odds aren't in his favor this time. Tyler Perry as a leading man hasn't done as well at the box office as Tyler Perry in a fat suit, dress and wig. Good Deeds, his first real attempt at being a leading man, grossed just over $35 million, making it one of his worst performing movies to date – the second to the last in terms of box office. Not good.

Over the last 6 months, the Alex Cross cast and crew have talked up the film and its star, including author James Patterson who's seen all of the film's footage, and calls this new Alex cross movie THE best Alex Cross movie ever, trumping previous works by Morgan Freeman; he also added that he feels Tyler is closer to the character as written in the book in terms of age and physical ability (so he's just not just a gumshoe, there's lots of action in this one – below watch stunt/fight coordinator Mark Hicks talk about a major finale fight scene between Tyler Perry's Cross and Matthew Fox's villain, calling the scene brutal and realistic), calling Tyler Perry a "method actor," and that he immersed himself into the role, describing a funeral scene in which Tyler's performance actually made the other people on set weep because of how good and genuine the scene apparently plays out. 

It could all be just hype; or it could be true. 

We'll find out soon enough.

The film, which features a supporting cast of rather solid actors in Cicely TysonGiancarlo EspositoMatthew FoxEd Burns, and others, will be released by Summit on October 26th this year, with a PG13 rating by the MPAA for "violence including disturbing images, sexual content, language, drug references, and nudity," according to Box Office Mojo.

In the clips below, watch Tyler Perry on the Alex Cross set talking about the film and character (including some behind-the-scenes footage), fight/stunt coordinator Mark Hicks talk about the brutal and realistic fight scenes in the movie,