‘The Best Man’ director Malcolm D. Lee presents debut novel in Atlanta

After 25 years of directing successful film and television programs, Malcolm D. Lee is exploring other creative ventures.

The writer, producer and filmmaker is presenting at Black Romance Book Fest at Omni Hotel at Centennial Park, held Friday through Sunday, May 29-31. The weekend event gathers Black authors and book lovers for signings, keynote speeches, reading lounges and vendor markets.

Organizers expect the event to attract 3,200 people to attend. The festival is designed to showcase Black romance novelists.

On Saturday at 11 a.m., Lee is on a panel about adapting his 1999 directorial debut, “The Best Man,” a romantic comedy about four Black male friends and their love interests, into “The Best Man: Unfinished Business,” his first fictional work published in July, co-written by Jayne Allen. It’s the first book in a trilogy.

Director of the movie Malcolm D. Lee (2nd L) poses with cast members (from L-R) Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau (back), Sanaa Lathan, Melissa De Sousa, Terrence Howard, Monica Calhoun, Regina Hall, Taye Diggs and Eddie Cibrian at the premiere of "The Best Man Holiday" in Hollywood, California, Nov. 5, 2013. (Courtesy of Mario Anzuoni)

Lee is sharing how “The Best Man” evolved into literature, businesses and platforms to uplift creatives.

“It’s not usually done the way I did it, taking film and television characters and putting them into a book. I’ve long wanted to try my hand at writing novels, and it’s a different discipline and muscle than it is to do a screenplay. I’m still navigating my way through the book process,” Lee said.

Lauren Lacey, Black Romance Book Fest organizer, said she hopes Lee’s insights and reputation for creating original, relatable content on various platforms will encourage attendees to pursue their own aspirations.

“Malcolm’s storytelling has shaped culture across generations from film and television to publishing. His presence across mediums creates meaningful, legacy-building pathways for our attending authors and creatives to be seen, inspired and connected to broader conversations within entertainment,” Lacey said.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to help identify and further amplify dynamic and deserving voices in literature for potential book-to-film-or-screen projects.”

Book publishing isn’t Lee’s only side hustle from “The Best Man.” He owns Sable Bourbon, a beverage company co-founded with lead actors Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau and Taye Diggs in 2024.

On Sunday, Lee and Chestnut are having a bottle signing at Camp Creek World of Beverages. It’s Lee’s first in-store promotional event in Atlanta.

He decided to form the spirits company with the heartthrobs to reflect their bond. “It’s bottled in brotherhood, and we’re introducing them (fans) to another product that’s an extension of our friendship,” Lee said.

“We drink a lot of brown liquor when we’re hanging out in the show, so we wanted to make a spirit of our own. We were all in agreement about the look, taste, title, packaging and messaging.”

Sample bottle of Sable Bourbon, the beverage company co-founded by filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, and cover art for his debut novel, “The Best Man: Unfinished Business,” published in July 2025. The book is the first in a trilogy. (Courtesy of Sable Bourbon)

Thirty years ago, Lee didn’t realize how many options he had to tell stories about Black relationships and cultural identity.

He tried writing five screenplays that never got produced. He had trouble fundraising to get them made but asked his cousin, director Spike Lee, close friends and studio executives for feedback on his scripts.

“I knew how to write good dialogue and interesting characters, but I did not know structure. It was groundwork to figure out how to write, what kind of story to tell and how to tell it,” Lee told UATL.

Then, Lee saw “Love Jones,” “Waiting to Exhale” and “Soul Food,” all commercially successful films by Black directors and featuring mostly Black actors.

Watching Black films become hits encouraged Lee to write another script for “The Best Man.” He sold it to Universal Pictures in 1998.

Lee’s vision paid off. The film opened at No. 1 at the box office, spawned the sequel “The Best Man Holiday” in 2013 and was later adapted into the limited series “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” on Peacock.

He wanted to show wider representations of Black people on screen.

“It was never intended to be a franchise. My intention was to make a classic movie that would stand the test of time, but I didn’t want to be a one-trick pony and have one (kind of) story to tell. I wanted to grow as a person and let these characters grow as people.”

“The Best Man” franchise actors Taye Diggs, Harold Perrineau, director Malcolm D. Lee and Morris Chestnut are founders of Sable Bourbon, a beverage company 'rooted in brotherhood,' Lee told UATL. (Courtesy of Sable Bourbon)

Lee, who went on to direct the blockbuster comedies “Roll Bounce,” “Girls Trip” and “Night School,” wants to mentor film directors.

This month, he launched Love and Laughs, an emerging filmmaker development program between his production company, Blackmaled Productions, Universal Pictures and Tribeca Film Festival. The joint venture is a yearlong initiative that awards grants and supports writers and filmmakers to produce short films, hoping they become features.

“We are seeing different filmmakers in different genres, and Black filmmakers are getting opportunities to do different things. I always wanted to find a way to bring new voices to the floor and amplify them. I can’t direct everything or be one of the few making romantic comedies,” he said.