Malcolm D. Lee Continues The Best Man Legacy with His First Novel

The acclaimed filmmaker behind The Best Man franchise is turning a new page– literally. 

Known for bringing Black love, friendship, and personal growth to life on screen, Malcolm D. Lee is now extending the beloved story into the literary world with the launch of his first book.

The Best Man: Unfinished Business dives deeper into the lives of Harper, Robin, and Jordan. They’re exploring new chapters in their journeys with the intimacy and emotional depth only prose can offer. 

The rest of the characters play a role, but this novel follows their point of views from chapter to chapter,” Lee said. “As we get into book two and three, we’ll get into other characters POV’s.”

After The Best Man: The Final Chapters aired on Peacock, fans were vocal about not being ready to say goodbye. They wanted more closure, more conflict, more character development, and Lee agreed. He knew the story wasn’t finished. Writing a novel had always been in the back of his mind, and this felt like the perfect moment to bring that dream to life. The characters were already established with layered histories and emotional depth. This made the transition to fiction feel effortless. 

For Lee, this new creative venture unlocked a deeper level of storytelling.

There’s a certain freedom you have with writing novels,” he explains. “You can be much more expansive in your storytelling. You get to be in the characters’ heads, create experiences of smells, taste, and sex.” While film relies on actors and visuals to convey emotion, the written word allowed Lee to push boundaries and dive into the inner worlds of his characters without compromise. “Some movies can offer this, but only as far as the actors are willing to go,” he adds. “With this iteration, I really got to be expansive in the storytelling without restriction.”

With this debut, Lee proves that great storytelling transcends the screen, offering fans a fresh yet familiar experience rooted in the legacy of a cultural classic.

The Best Man: Unfinished Business is now available in paperback, on Amazon and other e-commerce platforms, and as an audiobook.