They’re picking up where the Peacock series left off!
For 25 years, “The Best Man” has been more than a movie — it’s been a cultural rite of passage. From the unforgettable moment Harper’s book shook a wedding weekend to the deeply emotional reunion in The Best Man Holiday and the full-circle wisdom of The Final Chapters, we’ve laughed, cried, and grown up with this iconic crew. Now, their story is turning a new page — literally.
Malcolm D. Lee, the visionary filmmaker who gave us the original film in 1999, is bringing The Best Man series to bookshelves this summer. In partnership with author Jayne Allen, whose Black Girls Must Die Exhausted earned praise for its raw, authentic voice, Lee will release The Best Man: Unfinished Business on July 1st through Storehouse Voices, PEOPLE reports.
The new novel picks up where the 2022 Peacock mini-series left off, diving even deeper into the lives of Harper, Jordan, and Robyn as they navigate parenthood, midlife, and the pursuit of love again. According to Allen, this book is an “immersive storytelling” experience that lets fans get even closer to the characters they’ve known for decades.
“Along with so many others, I’ve treasured this group of friends since The Best Man’s box office opening in 1999,” she said. “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.”
For fans who’ve followed Harper’s journey from novelist to husband to uncertain middle-aged dreamer, the chance to see inside his mind in written form is a full-circle moment.
“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,” Taye Diggs shared.
“The Best Man: Unfinished Business dives deeper into the lives of these characters, revealing what has made them who they are, the good and the bad.” Diggs called it “emotionally engrossing, seductive, and impossible to put down,” crowning it the “perfect summer read.”
Morris Chestnut echoed the excitement, reflecting on the crew’s staying power. “When I met these classic characters twenty-five years ago, no way did I think they’d have the longevity that they’ve had,” he said. “Unfinished Business is the characters you love like you’ve never seen them before! You will laugh out loud and possibly shed a few tears, so read this with your crew.”
And if that wasn’t enough to stir your nostalgia, this novel is just the beginning. Lee and Allen plan two more books, continuing a legacy that deepens with time.
Harper, Jordan, Robyn, Lance, Quentin, Julian have allowed fans to see the full spectrum of Black love, friendship, conflict, and healing reflected with honesty and heart. The Best Man: Unfinished Business reminds us that some stories aren’t just watched, they’re lived with, returned to, and reimagined — one chapter at a time.
The novel arrives July 1st and is available now for preorder wherever books are sold.
Cover photo: Filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee Is Bringing His Classic “Best Man” Series to Bookshelves/Photo credit: David Lee/Blackmaled Productions/PEOPLE