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Whether or not this represents a broader trend remains to be seen; Perry's slate as a director seems relatively empty at the moment, with only one film in development with no set release date on the horizon, and his only other project of note being an as an actor in David Fincher's Gone Girl. Considering just how much product he's been flooding the marketplace with in recent years (not just in cinemas; he currently has three TV series on the air), it might be advantageous for him to slow down, and let demand grow for more Perry films, rather than putting something out every couple of months.

Matthew Huntley: I don't think we're witnessing a downward trend for Tyler Perry movies necessarily, and least in terms of their box-office, because I do think he still has the power to connect with his loyal audience, but even his most ardent fans probably know a stinker when they see one. The trailer for The Single Mom's Club simply made it look lame, predictable and un-funny, even for a Tyler Perry movie. Whether or not that's true (I haven't seen it) remains to be seen, but with so many (probably) better options out there, this one didn't seem different or original enough to warrant a trip to the theater. I guess I should finally break down and see a Tyler Perry movie (I never have, unless Star Trek [2009] counts).

Felix Quinonez Jr.: I think all of Tyler Perry's movies look terrible, lame and borderline offensively stupid. They all get bad to horrible reviews so I don't know why this one flopped but I'm glad it did. Maybe after releasing a million movies in seven years people are finally getting tired of his shtick.

Jason Barney: Writing for BOP, I feel embarrassed to admit that I have never seen one of these movies. The downward trend observation fits, as the box office for these continues to be lackluster. This may be a case of my not knowing enough about the subject matter, but at the very least, a fifth place opening is not good opening.

Kim Hollis: I would still contend that between the Madea Christmas movie and this film, Perry's work has shown some cracks. A Madea Christmas opened significantly lower than the other films featuring the character, and managed to take advantage of the holiday season to stumble along to $52 million. Perry isn't going to find a lot of studios who are going to be willing to give his releases prime Christmas season real estate again. Now, with The Single Moms club, we've got his lowest opener ever, back during the regular movie-going season when its final total won't be inflated by holiday attendance. I think it's time for him to evolve a bit and step outside of his traditional comfort zone - or else just take these relatively safe comedies to TV. He needs to grow with his audience.

Tim Briody: The thing to keep in mind is that Tyler Perry's biggest hits have been adaptations of his plays. He was a successful playwright in the South before Diary of a Mad Black Woman was turned into a movie and launched the Tyler Perry brand. The well has essentially run for him dry on stage adaptations, so now it's all original material, which is not enough to get his usual audience to show up.

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