Malcolm D. Lee, the creative mind behind The Best Man franchise, has announced he’s releasing his debut novel, The Best Man: Unfinished Business. Co-written with author Jayne Allen, the book sees Lee revisit the characters of The Best Man movies and the franchise’s Peacock series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, continuing on their journeys of aging, parenthood and love.
Here’s everything we know about the new Best Man novel.
The book picks up where ‘The Best Man: The Final Chapters’ ended
According to a press release, The Best Man: Unfinished Business picks up where the Peacock series left off. The 2023 show ended after a string of ups and downs, with author Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) accepting a Pulitzer Prize for his latest novel as the franchise’s beloved crew cheered him on.
Harper, who’s divorced from Robyn (Sanaa Lathan) and co-parenting their daughter, and Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long) don’t appear to be together. She’s shown starting a new chapter after stepping away from her high-powered career. Surprising most, on-again, off-again couple Quentin Spivey (Terrence Howard) and Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa) are together, while how things end for Candace Sparks-Murchison (Regina Hall) and Julian “Murch” Murchison (Harold Perrineau) is more up in the air.
Per the release, The Best Man: Unfinished Business will focus on “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.”
The book is the first of a trilogy
The Best Man: Unfinished Business releases on July 1 and is the first of a trilogy, with the following books slated for release in 2026. While each novel will be stand-alone, they all interweave the characters’ lives and stories.
Lee says the book will peel back the layers of the beloved characters
Fans have watched characters of The Best Man franchise evolve since the original film debuted in 1999. The new novel aims to dive even deeper into their psyches and how their complicated relationships continue to influence their lives.
“Writing this debut novel series around my most beloved cinematic characters has been an incredible journey—unlike anything I’ve done before,” Lee said in the release. “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. This series offers a deeper dive into their inner worlds, allowing their next chapters to unfold in a way only a novel can. 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.”
