Acclaimed filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, in collaboration with best-selling author Jayne Allen, is expanding his celebrated Best Man franchise with the release of a new novel, Best Man: Unfinished Business, slated to hit shelves on July 1, 2025.
The book, which continues the story from the 2022 Peacock limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, will be published by Storehouse Voices in partnership with Crown Publishing Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It will be available in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats.
According to a press release shared with Black Enterprise, the novel will follow familiar characters Harper, Jordan, and Robyn as they navigate the complexities of unconventional parenthood, midlife transitions, and rekindled romance. The book marks a new chapter in a franchise that began with Lee’s 1999 box office hit The Best Man and has since grown into a beloved cultural phenomenon.
Lee described the writing process as “incredible,” crediting the enduring appeal of the film’s characters for inspiring the next evolution of the story. “Over 25 years, we’ve watched The Best Man characters grow,” he said. “Even though I thought their stories ended with The Final Chapters, they keep returning, revealing new layers of story and depth.”
“This series offers a deeper dive into their inner worlds, allowing their next chapters to unfold in a way only a novel can,” Lee added. “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.”
Jayne Allen, known for her Black Girls Must Die Exhausted book series, called the collaboration “thrilling,” noting the opportunity to bring cinematic characters to life through fiction. “I’m very excited for readers to share in the delight of this book series and travel along with its many unexpected twists,” she told People. “It’s a new avenue of immersive storytelling for this beloved franchise.”
Actor Taye Diggs, who portrayed Harper Stewart in the original film and subsequent adaptations, also praised the novel. “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. “Emotionally-engrossing. Seductive. Impossible to put down. It’s the perfect summer read, full of heat.”
Since its theatrical debut in 1999, The Best Man has earned a devoted following, leading to the successful 2013 sequel The Best Man Holiday and the 2022 eight-part streaming series that propelled Peacock into Nielsen’s Top 10. The upcoming book is the first in a planned trilogy, with two additional installments expected in 2026.
