It’s been 22 years since The Best Man was released and eight since The Best Man Holiday came out. People are still loving this franchise, so much so that a TV series with the original cast is in the works at Peacock. The cast and director Malcolm D. Lee recently reunited, and Lee reveals what it was like to meet up again as well as reflect on creating that first film together.
The Best Man cast has reunited for a new Digital series, Hollywood Homecoming, from American Black Film Festival (ABFF). In collaboration with IMDb, ABFF’s new series will pay homage to iconic films that notably showcase Black humanity by providing balanced portrayals of the Black experience. The Best Man director Malcolm D. Lee said the following of the reunion in an interview with me for CinemaBlend:
It was great. We are in, I wouldn't say we're in regular touch, you know, and some of them are more in touch than others. But it's always a really good time when we get together. When we agreed to do this with ABFF and IMDb, we were still in negotiations on the television show for Peacock. Even though that was still in the background, a lot of us came together to discuss what it was like to be in that first experience. You know, my first movie, a lot of the other actors first time to really showcase their talents as actors, and not just being the sidekick or the funny friend, or the token Black person. Here's eight actors who got an opportunity to play real Black people, and they relish that. We really brought it to a good place and I guess the rest is history. People really have recognized themselves in these characters and it's had longevity.
It sounds like the cast enjoyed being back together, and seeing everything that’s come out of this movie from the start of their careers is inspiring. As Malcolm D. Lee said, The Best Man was his first movie. He couldn’t have planned for it to become a classic or a hit phenomenon, but that’s exactly what happened. And for his very first film, too.
I personally feel The Best Man is a perfect choice to kick off Hollywood Homecoming because it exemplifies everything the new series seeks to uplift. Being one of the first romantic comedies to focus on Black couples, The Best Man also offered a deeper look into the lives of Black characters that many films at the time were not. As Malcolm D. Lee mentioned, these weren’t supporting characters or tokens, they were leads with backstories, dreams, hard decisions, and emotional depth.
Audiences clearly resonated with the characters of The Best Man as they gave just as much love to The Best Man Holiday almost 15 years later. Fans will not want to miss this reunion special featuring director Malcolm D. Lee and cast members Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Monica Calhoun, Melissa DeSoussa, Terrence Howard and Harold Perrineau sharing stories from creating the film and more.
Hollywood Homecoming premieres Tuesday, April 13 at 3 p.m. PT on ABFF PLAY. The first episode will also simulcast on the IMDb homepage and social channels. Keep it here at CinemaBlend for updates on The Best Man series coming to Peacock, and check out these romantic films with Black leads.
