Netflix's Six Triple Eight - What We Know So Far
Netflix is partnering with Tyler Perry for a historical drama set in World War II titled, "Six Triple Eight." Perry is likely best known for his "Madea" franchise, but it only takes one scroll through his filmography to realize he does not appear to ever need sleep.
Despite the time period of the upcoming movie, the inspired-by-real-life tale is actually pretty timely. "Six Triple Eight" focuses on the women of the 6888th battalion (more on this later), and those heroes were celebrated by U.S. President Joe Biden not too long before Netflix's announcement. The president announced in March 2022 that the women of the battalion would be receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, via the Department of Defense.
This will mark Perry's fourth collaboration with Netflix. Previous films helmed by the Georgia filmmaker for the streamer are "A Fall From Grace," "A Madea Homecoming," and "A Jazzman's Blues," all of which were released between 2020 and 2022, proving once again Perry does not slow down, despite often wearing multiple hats on set as an actor, producer, and director.
What is about the 6888th that has Perry and Netflix so interested and just when can we expect the latest project from the "Madea" creator to drop? Here's everything we know so far about "Six Triple Eight."
When is the release date for Six Triple Eight?
"Six Triple Eight" does not currently have a release date, which is typical of Netflix originals. The streamer typically likes to announce a release date once they get closer and can tease the project with a trailer. Tyler Perry's track record with them thus far, however, suggests it's very likely audiences won't have to wait long. Since teaming with Netflix, Perry released movies on the streamer in 2020 and 2022.
The first of those movies, "A Fall From Grace," was independently made by Perry, only to have Netflix pick it up. The third film of his for the streamer, "A Jazzman's Blues" was a long-in-development project. What's unclear about "Six Triple Eight" is where it's at in its production. While an announcement was not dropped until December 2022, Perry teased that multiple projects were "in the can" in August when he was referring to "Six Triple Eight" and other upcoming works. "They're all in the can. I'm just waiting for the right time to start pulling them out," the filmmaker told Variety.
No matter what that says about the production status of "Six Triple Eight," Perry's prolific nature and growing Netflix filmography suggest "Six Triple Eight" will be dropping next year, hopefully properly highlighting the commendable service and fortitude of World War II heroes whose deeds have unfortunately mostly gone unsung.
What is the plot of Six Triple Eight?
As previously mentioned, "Six Triple Eight" follows the 6888th battalion during World War II, the only all-black and all-female battalion during the war. Perry's adaptation of the story will be based on an article from Kevin M. Hymel written about the battalion for WWII History Magazine, via Variety.
The 855 women of the 6888th were assigned the duty of sorting through a three-year backlog of undelivered mail. Despite facing discrimination during the war effort, the women of the 6888th managed to sort through millions of pieces of mail and get soldiers reconnected with their families and lines of communication open again. The battalion even had a motto about their assigned task, one that succinctly summed up just why their job was so vital for not just fellow soldiers, but their families back home.
"The motto that kept them going each day was one they created themselves: 'No Mail, Low Morale.' The women of the 6888th weren't just delivering mail, they were delivering hope," Netflix announced, per The Wrap.
In August, Perry teased the upcoming Netflix film, referring to the veteran women of the 688th as "some incredible people that were overlooked for years."
Who is directing Six Triple Eight?
On top of serving as a producer on "Six Triple Eight," Tyler Perry will also be writing and directing. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise as Perry's other collaborations with Netflix have seen him jump into the director's chair. Perry explained in an interview that after the success of 2020's "A Fall From Grace," Netflix immediately wanted more content from Perry, leading to "A Madea Homecoming," "A Jazzman's Blues," and now "Six Triple Eight," per Variety.
Perry is also writing and producing "Six Triple Eight." Others on the producing team include Nicole Avant, Keri Selig, Carlota Espinosa, Angi Bones, and Tony Strickland. The last three names are producing for Perry's Tyler Perry Studios, while the first two producers represent Her Excellency Productions and Intuition Productions, via The Hollywood Reporter.
Perry has directed plenty of film and television, but a period picture set during World War II is definitely a change of pace for the filmmaker. Still, Perry has more than enough experience and even beyond his own experience behind the camera, he's also worked with some of the most praised directors in the business from David Fincher to Adam McKay to Taylor Sheridan. In case you thought Netflix and his numerous other projects were keeping him too busy, Perry signed a four-picture deal with Amazon not long before the announcement of "Six Triple Eight," per Forbes.