OMG, we can’t wait!
The Best Man is returning to the screen as a limited series with the original cast on Peacock, Deadline reports.
The original movie hit theaters in 1999, written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, about a group of college friends reuniting for a wedding, grossing $34 million from a $9 million budget. The highly anticipated sequel, The Best Man Holiday, aired in November 2013, earning $70 million and solidifying the franchise as a box office hit. Since then, there have been talks of other installments, including a Best Man Wedding, which never panned out. The third installment of the franchise, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, has been picked up by streaming giant Peacock for a limited 10-episode dramedy series.
It’s officially official. pic.twitter.com/eulFokNUeu
advertisement— Malcolm D. Lee (@malcolmdlee) February 9, 2021
Lee is set to write and direct alongside Insecure’s Dayna Lynne North under the Universal TV umbrella. Original cast members Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Sousa, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, and Harold Perrineau are all set to return, closing reported seven-figure deals each for their reprised roles. Monica Calhoun is the only original cast member not returning since her character passed away in the holiday sequel. The new series will catch up with characters Harper, Robyn, Jordan, Lance, Quentin, Shelby, Candace, and Murch as they navigate their relationships, midlife crises, and past issues.
Chairman of Entertainment Content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, Susan Rovner, spoke about the new series saying, “We’re excited to reunite this beloved cast for a limited series run of The Best Man for Peacock. With a powerhouse duo like Malcolm and Dayna at the helm, fans will fall in love with our favorite group of friends all over again.”
Seems like yesterday when I wrote the @EBONYMag cover story for The Best Man Holiday. Excited to seeing the magnificence @malcolmdlee has in store for the limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. #ReturnOfTheBlackPack pic.twitter.com/ChoSYQ3B2w
— Margena A. Christian (@DrMargenaXan) February 10, 2021
Lee’s Blackmaled Productions and North’s Loud Sis Productions will serve as executive producers alongside Sean Daniel of Hivemind. He also produced The Best Man Holiday with Sheila Walcott leading the charge at Blackmaled.
“Here we go! The band is back together! I am very excited to bring these iconic characters back to the fans who have supported us through this franchise. We are thrilled to deliver everything one would expect from this group of friends in The Best Man universe and take them through their final chapters. We can’t wait! I told you it wouldn’t be 14 more years,” Lee said.
“The Best Man films were a cultural touchstone during my college days — and they’ve remained influential pop culture references to this day. I’ve grown up laughing with these characters, copying their dance moves, and grieving at their losses. I am overjoyed to be partnering with Malcolm D. Lee and this amazing cast to adapt this iconic franchise at Peacock,” said North.
They’re going to turn the next iteration of The Best Man into a limited series with the full OG cast? I…. I actually really like this idea. https://t.co/zMFKwFamIr
— Sylvia (@SylviaObell) February 9, 2021
In 2018, Lee signed a first-look deal with Universal TV after the success of his Best Man franchise and other feature comedies like Girls Trip and Night School. This is one of the first of many offerings he plans on releasing under the new partnership. He is also working on Space Jam: A New Legacy for Warner Bros./HBO Max while North is busy co-writing and executive producing Young Love, the series adaptation of the Oscar-winning short Hair Love by Matthew Cherry.
No word yet on when The Best Man: The Final Chapters will air on Peacock, but we can’t wait!
Photo Courtesy of Universal