Tyler Perry has set up a new production company as well as its first project.

Peachtree & Vine, the production company formed by Perry and former Lionsgate marketing exec Tim Palen, has planned a psychological thriller as the first release. According to Deadline, the film currently has the working title Whitney and takes place in the south. Specifically, the film will focus on “the profound power of memory and monuments in the Deep South.” The film will also be produced in conjunction with Marginal Mediaworks.

Marginal Mediaworks’ Sanjay Sharma created the film’s original treatment and will serve as producer with Palen. Perry will executive produce and Matt Dines of Paramount Players will oversee the film.

In a statement, Perry and Palen said how they loved the film’s relevance. “We loved this story right from the pitch,” they said. “It’s culturally relevant, smart and very provocative–all qualities we look for in the projects we want to partner on.” With the film coming at a time when discussions about Confederate monuments are at a fever pitch, Whitney has the possibility of adding more context and urgency to the conversations.

Central to that conversation is the idea of legacy, and for Sharma, he found the perfect partners to craft a story about legacy. In a statement, Sharma said that there’s no one better to work with him on the film than Perry and Palen. “Ownership of one’s labor and one’s narrative is a central theme of the project, and no one embodies that more today than Tyler.”

READ MORE:

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‘A Fall From Grace’: Netflix Announces Tyler Perry Film Starring Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad And More

Photo: Getty Images

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