*Malcolm D. Lee, the visionary behind the iconic “The Best Man” franchise, has ventured into literature with his debut novel, “The Best Man: Unfinished Business,” co-authored with Jayne Allen, known for her “Black Girls Must Die Exhausted” series.
As Blavity reports, this latest chapter unpacks the lives of Harper, Jordan, and Robyn as they navigate new beginnings while grappling with unbreakable ties to their past, according to the book’s synopsis. Lee, who launched the franchise with his 1999 directorial debut, saw the novel as a chance to expand the beloved story.
“I’ve been fantasizing about writing a novel, and I thought, okay, here was an opportunity with characters that I already knew, with a story that had already been previously discussed and displayed, to be more expansive in the storytelling,” he shared in a Blavity interview.
Transitioning from screenplays to prose, Lee found the process rewarding, noting similarities in crafting immersive worlds. “You get to do things on an intimate level,” he explained.
“And you get to use all five senses when you’re reading a book, it’s a very immersive world that you can get into in a way that — yes, movies and television are great, and I love them, and I’m never going to give up that medium — but to be able to really get into these characters’ heads in a different way gets you to know them much more intimately,” he added.
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The novel, dedicated to Lee’s late mother, Nancy, allowed deeper exploration of the characters, satisfying fans’ demands for more.
“My mother is always with me,” Lee said. “She’s in my heart. She’s in my soul.” Although she never saw *The Best Man: Final Chapters*, he believes she would have loved the novel, despite its racy elements.
“It’s a great tribute to her,” he added, reflecting on her love for books and the franchise.
“…she loved The Best Man, she loved my storytelling, and really never got a chance to see The Best Man: Final Chapters. But I think she would have loved them and would have loved this iteration of it,” the filmmaker said.
“The Best Man: Unfinished Business” is available now wherever books are sold.
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