Filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, director of the hit 1999 movie The Best Man, and best-selling author Jayne Allen are bringing the novel to bookshelves with the release of The Best Man: Unfinished Business, according to a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Storehouse Voices, in collaboration with Crown Publishing Group, a Penguin Random House LLC division, will release the novel on Jul. 1 in physical and ebook formats, with an available audiobook edition. The book series picks up from where the 2022 hit Peacock series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, left off, following the lives of “besties” Harper, Jordan, and Robyn as they “navigate unconventional parenthood, mid-life crises and a second chance at love.”
Allen called the collaborative efforts “thrilling” and says it opened “a new avenue of immersive storytelling for this beloved franchise through the written word.” “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,” Allen told People.
“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 popularity of The Best Man led to the 2013 The Best Man Holiday sequel that opened at No. 2 at the box office, starring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Terrance Howard, Morris Chestnut, and Harold Perrineau, and the eight-part series, putting Peacock in the Nielsen Top 10 for the first time. It also led to fans wanting more, and that’s what Lee is giving with this new novel.
The acclaimed film director says the journey of writing the novel has been “incredible,” especially based on what he calls his “most beloved cinematic characters.” “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,” Lee said.
“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.”
Following the initial release, the next two books are slated for release in 2026, stringing the character’s stories together throughout the trilogy. Diggs, who played the lead character of Harper, an author whose dirty laundry was aired on the day of his best friend Lance’s wedding, says he is excited to see Harper’s new path. “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.
“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!”
It sounds like a certified page-turner. Pre-orders are available now wherever books are sold.
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