Best Man Holiday Movies: How Many Are There?

The Best Man Holiday is a sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man, which follows a group of old friends in the days leading up to Lance Sullivan and Mia Morgan's wedding. The sequel, released in 2013, takes place years later as the group of friends reunites and long-forgotten rivalries and romances resurface. The franchise also includes a limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, which debuted in 2022 and wraps up the story of the friend group.

The Best Man Holiday (2013)

The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. It is a sequel to Lee's 1999 film The Best Man. The movie stars Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau, Monica Calhoun and Melissa De Sousa, all reprising their roles from the previous film.

The film follows the story of a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years, coming together over the Christmas holidays. They discover that old rivalries and romances can be easily reignited. Harper Stewart (Diggs), the protagonist, faces writer's block and financial difficulties. His agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend, Lance Sullivan (Chestnut), a New York Giants superstar who is set to retire. Lance keeps Harper at a distance, but Harper agrees to write the book in secret. Lance's wife, Mia, invites Harper, his wife Robyn, and the rest of their friends for Christmas. The gang catches up, and old tensions resurface. Harper tries to mend his friendship with Lance while discreetly gathering research for the biography. The friends also face various personal challenges and conflicts, including relationship issues, career struggles, and health concerns.

The film received positive reviews, with critics praising the performances of the cast, Lee's direction, and the dramatic elements. It grossed $72.8 million worldwide, surpassing its $17 million production budget. The Best Man Holiday was also nominated for several accolades, including four nominations at the 45th NAACP Image Awards.

The Best Man Holiday is part of the "The Best Man" franchise, which includes the original 1999 film "The Best Man" and the limited series "The Best Man: The Final Chapters", released in 2022.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022)

The Best Man franchise, created by Malcolm D. Lee, began in 1999 with the film The Best Man. This was followed by The Best Man Holiday in 2013 and The Best Man: The Final Chapters in 2022, which concluded the franchise.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters is an eight-episode miniseries that was released on Peacock on December 22, 2022. It follows a group of longtime college friends—Harper, Quentin, Lance, Murch, Jordan, Robyn, Candace, and Shelby—as they face various midlife challenges and navigate evolving relationships and past grievances. The characters grapple with issues of marriage, parenting, health, romance, work, and identity. Harper, a writer, gets the opportunity to turn his book "Unfinished Business" into a movie. Meanwhile, Quentin gets married and struggles to take over his family's business, and Lance discovers new passions while facing difficult parenting challenges. The series also explores the experiences of the other characters, including Jordan, who strives for work-life balance, and Candace and Murch, who reframe their relationship.

The series received positive reviews from fans, who praised its portrayal of successful Black people navigating friendships and its reflection of real life. It has a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 58 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

The cast of The Best Man: The Final Chapters includes Morris Chestnut as Lance Sullivan, Melissa De Sousa as Shelby Taylor, Taye Diggs as Harper Stewart, Regina Hall as Candace "Candy" Sparks-Murchison, Terrence Howard as Quentin Spivey, Sanaa Lathan as Robyn Stewart, Nia Long as Jordan Armstrong, and Harold Perrineau as Julian "Murch" Murchison.

Harper's novel, Unfinished Business

Harper Stewart, played by Taye Diggs, is the author of the novel "Unfinished Business", which is inspired by his group of friends. The book is described as a "magic prop" by director Malcolm D. Lee, as it creates drama and conflict within the group. In the first film, "The Best Man" (1999), the novel reveals Harper's one-night stand with his best friend Lance's fiancée. This sets off a series of events and creates tension within the group, testing their bonds.

"Unfinished Business" continues to play a role in the subsequent films and series. In "The Best Man Holiday" (2013), Lance is still bitter about the revelations from the book. In "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" (2022), Harper considers adapting his novel into a film. He seeks his friends' blessing for the project at a destination wedding, hoping to get ahead of any potential drama. However, the book once again becomes a source of conflict and creates new challenges for the group.

Harper's novel is a central element of the franchise, providing a basis for the characters' relationships and conflicts. It adds depth to the story and allows the exploration of themes such as friendship, loyalty, and the complexities of interpersonal dynamics. The novel also serves as a device to move the plot forward and create tension, as its revelations have lasting consequences for the characters.

In addition to the novel's impact on the plot, it is worth noting that Harper's career as a successful author is also a significant aspect of his character. Diggs, who plays Harper, has commented on the importance of seeing himself represented on screen as a Black author. This representation contributes to the broader theme of normalizing Black life in America, which is a key aspect of the franchise.

The cast of young, up-and-coming, attractive Black actors

There are two movies in the Best Man franchise: The Best Man (1999) and The Best Man Holiday (2013). There is also a limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022), which concludes the story.

The cast of The Best Man Holiday includes several young, up-and-coming, attractive Black actors.

Taye Diggs plays Harper Stewart, a writer with financial difficulties and a strained friendship with Lance Sullivan. Diggs is known for his role in the original Broadway cast of Rent and for starring opposite Angela Bassett in How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

Sanaa Lathan plays Robyn Stewart, Harper's pregnant wife. Lathan also starred in the romance classic Love & Basketball and the Netflix series Hit & Run.

Nia Long plays Jordan Armstrong, a producer at MSNBC. Long has appeared in Boyz n the Hood, Friday, Love Jones, and Soul Food.

Morris Chestnut plays Lance Sullivan, a New York Giants superstar. Chestnut has also starred in Rosewood and The Resident.

Harold Perrineau plays Julian "Murch" Murchison, who runs a school with his wife, Candace, as the head of admissions. Perrineau appeared in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet, two Matrix films, and Zero Dark Thirty.

Terrence Howard plays Quentin "Q" Spivey, a successful brand manager. Howard was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar in 2006 for his role in Hustle & Flow and found huge fame starring in Fox's Empire.

Melissa De Sousa plays Shelby Taylor, a prominent reality TV star on The Real Housewives franchise. De Sousa has appeared in numerous TV and film roles, including Miss Congeniality and The CW's Black Lightning.

Regina Hall plays Candace "Candy" Sparks, Julian's wife and a former stripper. Hall has starred or co-starred in many successful movies and TV projects, including Girl's Trip, the Scary Movie franchise, and as one of the hosts of the 2022 Oscars.

The Best Man Holiday also features several other talented actors in supporting roles, including Monica Calhoun, Eddie Cibrian, and John Michael Higgins.

The film grossed an estimated $34.5 million

The Best Man film series began in 1999 with the release of The Best Man, which follows a group of old friends in the lead-up to Lance Sullivan and Mia Morgan's wedding. The film grossed an estimated $34.5 million on a budget of $9 million.

The success of the first film was followed up by a 2013 sequel, The Best Man Holiday, which doubled its predecessor's box office numbers. The Best Man Holiday brought the cast back together years after the events of the first film, as long-forgotten rivalries and romances were reignited.

The Best Man franchise continued with an eight-episode limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, which debuted on Peacock in 2022. The series concludes the story of the friends, with director Malcolm D. Lee stating that he feels the time is right to bring some closure to the franchise.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters delves into the characters' midlife metamorphosis, exploring their relationships, careers, and personal struggles. The series also places a greater focus on the female characters, with writer and executive producer Dayna Lynne North working to expand their storylines.

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