I know the Electric Slide is supposed to come at the end in Black movies, but I have to start off this blog with a celebratory Slide! Y’all, there is going to be a TV series based on The Best Man!
Happy Black History Month!
That’s right, the 1999 film where it all started (which then birthed a 2013 sequel, The Best Man Holiday) is continuing its legacy with an upcoming series called The Best Man: The Final Chapters, picked up by NBC’s streamer Peacock, via Universal Television, and written and executive produced by Malcolm D. Lee and Dayna Lynne North (Insecure, Young Love). Of course, I know why y’all here...you’re wondering if the original cast will return.
THE ANSWER IS YES.
Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Sousa, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Harold Perrineau are confirmed to return for the series.
Here are the show’s plot details, from the official press release sent to The Root:
Based upon the eponymous Universal film franchise written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the series will catch up with Harper, Robyn, Jordan, Lance, Quentin, Shelby, Candace, and Murch as relationships evolve and past grievances resurface in the unpredictable stages of midlife crisis meets midlife renaissance.
“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,” Lee, who wrote and directed the original film and its sequel, said in a statement. “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.”
If you remember correctly, fans of the franchise were on the edge of their seats awaiting a third film titled The Best Man Wedding, which was reported to be on indefinite hiatus back in 2018. We have quite a bit to catch up on so a series actually makes more sense—and it would work for the streamer-dominated world we’re living in these days (which supplements great Black Twitter commentary).
Now, I’m sitting over here wondering what we’re going to see in this upcoming series. Unfortunately, Mia (Monica Calhoun) tragically died in The Best Man Holiday, but there’s room for a possible Calhoun cameo for a throwback or maybe a melancholy “What If” sequence. The possibilities are endless—including Howard perhaps giving us yet another upside-down-guitar-playing performance.
“We’re excited to reunite this beloved cast for a limited series run of The Best Man for Peacock,” Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming said in a statement. “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.”