Tyler Perry's 'Joe's College Road Trip' First Look: Longtime Character Finally Takes Center Stage in Netflix
Netflix • Film • Tyler Perry
After two decades of stealing scenes and delivering some of the most memorable one-liners in Tyler Perry's expansive Madea universe, the grouchy, unfiltered patriarch Joe Simmons is finally getting his moment in the spotlight. Netflix has unveiled the first trailer and first-look images for Joe's College Road Trip, marking the first time Perry's beloved curmudgeon character leads his own feature film rather than serving as comic relief to his famous sister.
Release Information
Release Date: February 13, 2026 on Netflix globally
Writer/Director: Tyler Perry
Star: Tyler Perry (as Joe, Brian, and Madea)
Co-Stars: Jermaine Harris, Amber Reign Smith
Producer: Tyler Perry and Angi Bones
Genre: Comedy / Road Trip Film
The Journey That Twenty Years Made Possible
For fans who've followed Tyler Perry's theatrical universe since the early 2000s, Joe Simmons has been a constant presence, the cantankerous brother who could always be counted on to say exactly what everyone else was thinking but with considerably less filter. Whether he was rolling his eyes at Madea's antics, delivering brutally honest assessments of other characters' choices, or simply existing as the personification of "I'm too old for this," Joe became one of Perry's most quotable creations.
The decision to center an entire film around Joe isn't just fan service, it's a recognition of how the character has evolved over twenty years from supporting player to scene-stealer. Perry has mastered the art of playing multiple characters in his films, but Joe has always stood apart with his particular brand of gruff wisdom wrapped in profanity and side-eye.
What the Trailer Reveals
The newly released trailer wastes no time establishing the premise and the comedy potential. Joe's son Brian, concerned that he may have sheltered his own son B.J. for too long, makes a decision that seems questionable at best: sending the college-bound teenager on a cross-country college tour with his grandfather Joe. The goal is for Joe to teach B.J. about Black history and the real world. The inevitable result is chaos.
"In an effort to teach him about the real world, Joe takes B.J. on a cross-country college road trip where tensions get high but life-changing lessons are learned."
The trailer promises the kind of generational clash that's been fertile ground for comedy since the beginning of cinema, but with Perry's specific sensibility and Joe's particular personality driving the narrative. The footage shows the duo quickly running into trouble as they navigate their journey, with Joe's no-nonsense approach to life colliding with B.J.'s presumably more sheltered worldview.
What makes this setup particularly promising is that it allows Perry to explore both the humor and the heart that has always been present in his best work. Joe may be foul-mouthed and perpetually irritated, but there's genuine love beneath the gruffness, and a road trip movie gives that dynamic room to breathe and develop.
The Cast: New Faces Join the Perry-verse
Jermaine Harris, known for his work in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, steps into the crucial role of B.J., Joe's grandson. The success of the film will largely depend on the chemistry between Harris and Perry, as their relationship forms the emotional core of the story. The trailer suggests Harris is more than up to the task, playing B.J. with enough earnestness to contrast with Joe's cynicism without becoming a caricature.
Amber Reign Smith from The Other Black Girl joins the cast in an undisclosed role that the first-look images suggest will be significant to the journey. The supporting cast will need to be strong to balance Perry's triple duty as writer, director, and star, and early signs suggest he's assembled a capable ensemble.
Perry's Multi-Character Mastery: True to form, Perry plays multiple roles in the film. In addition to Joe, he appears as Brian (Joe's son) and makes an appearance as Madea herself, ensuring longtime fans get to see the iconic character even in what's technically a spinoff. The first-look images confirm Madea's presence, suggesting she'll have a role in setting the journey in motion or perhaps offering her own brand of wisdom before Joe and B.J. hit the road.
Tyler Perry's 2026 Netflix Dominance
Joe's College Road Trip represents just the beginning of what promises to be an incredibly busy year for Tyler Perry on Netflix. The streamer has become the primary home for Perry's film work, and 2026 will showcase the breadth of his creative output.
Following Joe's College Road Trip in February, Perry has several projects lined up including the second half of Beauty in Black Season 2, the faith-based musical 'Tis So Sweet, and The Gospel of Christmas. Perhaps most excitingly for longtime fans, Perry recently announced Why Did I Get Married Again?, the third installment in his popular marriage drama franchise that began in 2007.
This prolific output is characteristic of Perry's work ethic, but it also speaks to Netflix's confidence in his ability to deliver content that connects with audiences. Perry's films and series consistently perform well on the platform, drawing viewers who appreciate his particular blend of comedy, drama, and faith-based storytelling.
The Road Trip Formula Gets the Perry Treatment
Road trip movies have been a staple of American comedy for decades because the formula works. You take two (or more) characters who don't quite see eye to eye, put them in close quarters for an extended journey, force them to navigate unexpected obstacles, and watch as proximity and shared experience break down walls and build understanding. The best road trip movies use the physical journey as a metaphor for emotional growth.
Perry brings to this familiar framework his distinctive voice and his understanding of multi-generational family dynamics within the Black community. The decision to make the trip a college tour adds educational and aspirational elements to what could have been purely comedic. Joe teaching B.J. about Black history and the "real world" suggests the film will have something to say beyond just generating laughs, which has always been Perry's strength: wrapping genuine messages about family, heritage, and growth inside entertaining packages.
Why Joe Works as a Lead Character
The genius of centering this film on Joe rather than Madea is that Joe operates from a different comedic space. While Madea's humor often comes from her larger-than-life personality and her willingness to take direct, physical action to solve problems, Joe's comedy is more observational and verbal. He's the character who says what he thinks without sugarcoating it, who has zero patience for nonsense, and who has been around long enough to have seen it all.
This makes Joe ideal for a mentorship narrative. He's not trying to be anyone's friend or win any popularity contests. He's there to impart hard-won wisdom, even if that wisdom is delivered with exasperation and colorful language. For a young person like B.J. who's been sheltered, Joe represents a crash course in unfiltered reality.
Moreover, Perry has had twenty years to develop Joe's character across multiple films. We know his rhythms, his relationships, his worldview. That familiarity allows Joe's College Road Trip to skip past extensive character introduction and jump straight into the story. Audiences already love Joe; now they get to spend an entire movie in his company.
The Cultural Significance of Black Family Road Trips
While the film is positioned as a comedy, the context of a cross-country journey for a young Black man with his grandfather carries historical and cultural weight that Perry is likely to acknowledge. The road trip has particular resonance in Black American history, from the era of the Green Book providing safe travel routes during segregation to the ongoing reality of navigating America as a Black family.
By framing this as a college tour, Perry taps into themes of educational access, generational achievement, and the different worlds that different generations have had to navigate. Joe grew up in a different America than B.J. is inheriting, and their cross-country journey provides natural opportunities to explore those differences and what remains the same.
First-Look Images: Setting the Visual Tone
The released first-look images provide crucial visual context for the film's tone and style. We see Joe and B.J. in various scenarios that suggest both comedy and conflict, from what appears to be moments of bonding to scenes of clear tension. The images confirm the presence of other characters who will impact their journey, including Amber Reign Smith's character Destiny, who seems to be someone they meet along the way.
One particularly interesting image shows Perry in character as all three roles: Joe, Brian, and Madea, together in the same frame. It's a reminder of Perry's unique position in Hollywood as a multi-hyphenate who not only writes and directs but plays multiple characters in his own productions, a feat that requires considerable technical skill and comedic timing to pull off convincingly.
What This Means for the Madea Universe
Joe's College Road Trip represents an expansion of what Perry has built over two decades. By giving Joe his own film, Perry demonstrates that the Madea universe contains multiple viable protagonists with their own stories to tell. This could open the door for other characters to get their moments in the spotlight, or for Perry to continue exploring this world from different angles.
It's also a savvy business move. Perry retired Madea in 2019 with A Madea Family Funeral, though she's made appearances since. By focusing on Joe, Perry can continue working in the universe he created while giving audiences something fresh. Joe's films don't carry the same baggage or cultural debate that sometimes surrounds Madea, allowing Perry more creative freedom.
"Realizing he may have sheltered his son for too long, Brian begrudgingly agrees to send his son B.J. on a college tour with his grandfather in the hopes that Joe can teach him a thing or two about Black History and the real world."
The Netflix Partnership: A Perfect Match
Tyler Perry's partnership with Netflix has proven remarkably fruitful for both parties. For Netflix, Perry provides a steady stream of content that serves an audience demographic the platform has actively courted. Perry's films and series consistently draw viewership numbers that justify the investment.
For Perry, Netflix offers something traditional studios haven't always provided: creative freedom and a guaranteed platform for his work. He doesn't have to fight for theatrical releases or worry about box office competition. Netflix gives his projects immediate global reach and keeps them available indefinitely, allowing them to find audiences over time rather than just in an opening weekend.
Joe's College Road Trip exemplifies this partnership's strengths. It's the kind of mid-budget comedy that struggles to find theatrical space in the current blockbuster-dominated landscape but can thrive on streaming where audiences can discover it on their own time.
Final Thoughts: What to Expect
Based on the trailer and first-look images, Joe's College Road Trip appears to be exactly what Tyler Perry fans hope for: a comedy with heart, anchored by a character they already love, exploring themes of family and generational wisdom through the lens of a literal journey across America. For newcomers to Perry's work, it might serve as an accessible entry point into his universe since Joe, while part of the larger Madea world, can stand on his own.
The February 13th release date positions it perfectly for Valentine's Day weekend viewing, though this is decidedly not a romantic comedy. Instead, it's a different kind of love story: the complicated, sometimes frustrating, ultimately redemptive love between grandparent and grandchild, between generations trying to understand each other.
Joe Simmons has been making audiences laugh for twenty years. Now he finally gets to show what he can do when the entire story revolves around him. If the trailer is any indication, he's more than ready for the spotlight.