Quinn Artech February 10th, 2021 - 12:00 AM
NBC’s streaming arm Peacock has ordered a new series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, according to Deadline. The series will be a limited ten episode dramedy from 1999’s The Best Man movie writer and director Malcolm D. Lee along with former Insecure executive producer Dayna Lynne North according to Deadline.
The original core cast from the 1999 film are all set to return in the Peacock series, according to Deadline. Morris Chestnut (Boyz N The Hood), Melissa De Sousa (UPN’s One On One), Taye Diggs (Brown Sugar), Regina Hall (Showtime’s Black Monday), Terrence Howard (Fox’s Empire), Sanaa Lathan (Nappily Ever After), Nia Long (Are We There Yet?), and Harold Perrineau (ABC’s Lost). The only one who will not be returning is Monica Calhoun (The Player’s Club) whose character died in the 2013 sequel, The Best Man Holiday.
“We’re excited to reunite this beloved cast for a limited series run of The Best Man for Peacock,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “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.”– via Deadline.
The upcoming series will follow the lives of original characters Harper, Robyn, Jordan, Quentin, Shelby, Candace and Murch from the previous Lee films. The Peacock dramedy will catch us up with the ensemble casts’ relationship, midlife crisis, past grievances and triumphs since the 2013 sequel and beyond according to Deadline.
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The Best Man: The Final Chapters series is a Universal Television production. The series is written and executive produced by Malcolm D. Lee’s Blackmaled Production company and Dayna Lynne North’s Loud Sis Productions. The Best Man Holiday producer Sean Daniel (2017’s The Mummy) will also serve as executive producer.
“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,” said Lee. “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.”–via Deadline.
Since the release of his sequel to the franchise in 2013 Lee has produced and directed two more very successful feature comedies for Universal, Girls Trip and Night School. According to Deadline, Lee expanded on his Universal Studios relationship by signing a first look deal with Universal TV in 2018.
“When Malcolm joined the UTV family, our first conversation was about our collective desire to bring his groundbreaking Universal feature franchise to television,” Universal Television President Erin Underhill said. “Three years and one pandemic later, we’re on the brink of doing just that. I’m thrilled for us all to see this goal come to fruition….The Best Man films were a cultural touchstone during my college days — and they’ve remained influential pop culture references to this day,” she said. “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.” –via Deadline.
The Best Man: The Final Chapters will be joined by a number of reboot series from notable Universal franchises on the streaming service Peacock. Iconic titles like Saved By The Bell, Punky Brewster and Battlestar Galactica are all revived on Peacock as well. Universal’s The Equalizer produced by Universal TV is rebooting as a series on CBS.
According to Deadline, Lee has served as executive producer for NBC’s Night School comedy pilot as well as NBC’s That Age, which he is also the creator and director. Lee is also at the helm of the upcoming Warner Bros./HBO Max feature Space Jam: A New Legacy starring Lebron James. Lee’s Blackmaled Productions has a few projects in development like I Almost Forgot About You, an adaptation of Terry McMillan’s novel with Viola Davis, The Classic, and Real Talk.
