by Kandiss Edwards
June 30, 2025
Malcolm D. Lee talks about extending ‘The Finest Man’ universe and the way every character has ‘extra story to inform.’
Malcolm D. Lee’s artistry is ingrained into the material of Black tradition. Lee created “The Finest Man,” and it’s now an over $100 million franchise. The franchise has been prolonged right into a tv sequence and a ebook trilogy, titled “The Finest Man Unfinished Enterprise.”
The story of Harper, Robin, Jordan, Quentin, Murch, Lance, Mia, Candice, and Shelby has been ongoing for 25 years. The Amazon sequence “The Ultimate Chapters” was slated to be the top, but there may be extra to come back. Lee spoke to BLACK ENTERPRISE in regards to the literary extension of the Finest Man’s messy but loving buddy group. Certainly, there may be “unfinished enterprise” to be explored.
BE: What made you say, “You realize what, the sequence will not be the ultimate chapters in any case?”
Malcolm D. Lee: I believed we had been completed. It was extremely tough to deliver collectively all these actors. I don’t know if we are able to try this once more, and I didn’t suppose I had any extra story to inform.
However I’ve all the time cherished the written phrase. I’ve lengthy fantasized about writing a novel. So, I believed, this is likely to be a possibility to attempt my hand at it with characters that individuals are already acquainted with.
BE: Harper’s profession is flourishing; nobody’s asking if he “wants some cash.” Emotionally, he’s nonetheless spiraling. Why did you select to let his emotional development lag to date behind his skilled success throughout the franchise?
LEE: Harper was all the time hyper-focused on profession success. He was a serial monogamist and centered on attending to the highest of being validated as an creator. He forgot to deal with house. In a considerable means, it value him his marriage and a powerful relationship together with his daughter.
Now he’s residing that bachelor life-style, but it’s type of hole and empty. He feels misplaced in his life together with his buddy group, who’ve all emotionally matured. It was examination of attaining success, however what do it’s a must to present for it on the finish of the day?
BE: In ‘Unfinished Enterprise,’ Harper’s engaged on a movie adaptation. Collaboration in movie isn’t as simple as writing a ebook solo. Is that your private tackle the artistic course of?
Lee: I needed to verify that is literary. I can have limitless creativeness about what I wish to do, and it offers you a chance to actually delve into these characters’ minds in a means that we haven’t gotten to expertise on the massive and the small display screen. You get to make use of all 5 senses. In a film, you solely have sights and sound. Now you get really feel, contact, scent, and style.
BE: Let’s discuss Jordan “motherf**king” Armstrong. She reconfigures her life and hits a wall. Will we ever see her actually win?
Lee: Plenty of ladies see themselves in Jordan. Lastly, on the finish of the ultimate chapters, she selected herself. She has discovered love of self. She is in remedy, making an attempt to get the solutions to why she is the way in which she is. She and Harper are very parallel.
BE: Robin’s nonetheless in Africa. Why did she not come again into the fold?
Lee: Robin selected herself. She determined, I would like higher for myself apart from this relationship that I give, give, and provides to. Additionally, she didn’t wish to be in America anymore. She was uninterested in combating for a rustic that wasn’t combating again for her.
Additionally, these had been, by and enormous, Harper’s buddies. She made room for everyone. Now she has to make room for herself.
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The primary version within the “Unfinished Enterprise” trilogy facilities on Jordan, Robin, and Harper. Nonetheless, make no mistake, the total forged of characters is current. The characters leap off the web page as if they had been on display screen. Audiences might be aggravated with Harper, amused by Quentin, happy with Jordan, and grounded by Lance. The crew is again. Get into the “unfinished enterprise” of all of it July 1.
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