Malcolm D. Lee, the creative director behind the beloved “The Best Man” series, has announced that the franchise will have a book trilogy.
The first, slated for release in July 2025, will be titled The Best Man: Unfinished Business and will be co-authored by Lee and novelist Jayne Allen, the writer behind the acclaimed novel Black Girls Must Die Exhausted.
According to People, The Best Man: Unfinished book will pick up from the 2022 Peacock series, “The Best Man: The Final Chapters,” left off.
It follows Harper, Jordan, and Robyn as they try to establish new lives away from the hurts of the past and come to realize that some relationships are impossible to break away from, per the synopsis.
“Writing this debut novel series around my most beloved cinematic characters has been an incredible journey—unlike anything I’ve done before,” Less said in a statement to the press.
He continued: “Over 25 years, we’ve watched The Best Man characters grow. And even though I thought their stories ended with The Final Chapters, they keep returning, revealing new layers of story and depth.”
“Sharing these new stories with longtime fans while introducing them to new audiences in a fresh medium is truly exciting. It’s both a continuation and a new beginning. I couldn’t be more thrilled to take fans old and new along for the ride.”
Allen, for her part, is thrilled about the chance to collaborate with Lee.
“I’m very excited for readers to share in the delight of this book series and travel along with its many unexpected twists for Harper, Jordan, Robyn, and the crew,” she said.
“Along with so many others, I’ve treasured this group of friends since The Best Man’s box office opening in 1999, so I hope that fans will love this fresh take on the well-known characters, especially to discover their voices sparkle as brightly on the page as they do on the screen.”
The original film, which premiered in 1999, stars Taye Diggs as novelist Harper Stewart, who reunites with his college crew — Lance (Morris Chestnut), Quentin (Terrence Howard), and Julian (Harold Perrineau) — during a wedding weekend full of unexpected drama.
During the wedding celebrations, Harper is caught between past and present loves, his ambitious ex Jordan (Nia Long) and his current girlfriend Robyn (Sanaa Lathan).
“When you’re as close to the characters as I have been, you think you can predict what’s coming around the corner, but this kept even me on the edge of my seat,” Diggs said about the book in a statement to People.
“The Best Man: Unfinished Business dives deeper into the lives of these characters revealing what has made them who they are, the good and the bad,” he added.
“From a second chance romance to wrestling with heartbreak and purpose, Malcolm and Jayne have given the best men and women new life. Emotionally-engrossing. Seductive. Impossible to put down. It’s the perfect summer read, full of heat!”
The Best Man: Unfinished Business is available for pre-order, and the final two installments of the book trilogy will be released in 2026.
