Not every show needs to be revisited and reimagined for a new generation, but there are also some projects that you wouldn’t mind going back to for old time’s sake. And while The Best Man and its sequel were practically flawless films on their own, fans of classic Black cinema probably won’t mind following the shenanigans of Harper (Taye Diggs) and the gang in a brand new series.
First released in 1999, The Best Man followed a group of close knit friends preparing for a wedding. It’s business as usual until a terrible secret comes to light on the big day; best man Harper slept with Mia (Monica Calhoun), the bride-to-be of his very best friend Lance (Morris Chestnut). Chaos ensues, threatening to ruin the special event and years of friendship, but everything ultimately works out. The characters were then revived for the 2013 sequel The Best Man Holiday, in which the dynamic circle of friends rally around Lance while he deals with Mia’s terminal cancer diagnosis and the prospect of becoming a single father.
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On February 9, Deadline revealed that Malcolm D. Lee isn’t done with the unique characters yet. More than 20 years after its release, The Best Man will return, this time as a limited series on NBCUniversal streaming service Peacock. The dramedy series, titled The Best Man: The Final Chapters, will see almost all of the original cast reprising their roles; Chestnut and Diggs have signed on to star alongside co-stars Melissa De Sousa, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, and Harold Perrineau. Dayna Lynne North (Insecure) will also serve as a co-writer and executive producer on the 10-episode series.
A Best Man series has apparently been in the works for years, but as a fan of both original films, even I’m not sure how this is going to go. It's been eight years since we watched the homies gather in Lance and Mia’s home and dance to “Can You Stand the Rain.” Eight years since Lance and Harper made up. Eight years since Monica literally — spoiler alert! — died. It feels very random to come back to this plot, which felt like a closed book after the sequel, but Lee hints that this story is far from over. Years may have passed, but this group of friends still has a lot of growing up to do.
“The band is back together!” the the writer and director shared in an official statement. “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.”
I have no idea exactly where this story is going to take us, but I can assure you that I’m already fully buckled in for the wild ride. The chance to look at Morris Chestnut and his salt-and-pepper goatee for 10 whole episodes? Sign me up, please and thank you.