**Malcolm D. Lee is an award-winning writer, director, and producer celebrated for a string of box office successes, including The Best Man, Girls Trip, Night School, and Space Jam: A New Legacy. With Girls Trip, Lee made history as the first filmmaker to helm a feature with an all–African American creative team—both in front of and behind the camera—that grossed over $100 million at the domestic box office. ** In 2022, he returned to his beloved franchise with The Best Man: The Final Chapters, the critically acclaimed Peacock limited series that became the first original on the platform to break into Nielsen’s Top 10. Most recently, Lee completed filming his 12th feature film an Untitled collaboration with Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures. In 2024, Lee was honored with the Career Achievement Award by the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, recognizing his esteemed body of work over a 25-year career. The award was especially meaningful as it marked the 25th anniversary of his directorial debut, The Best Man. Through his production company, Blackmaled Productions, Lee is developing a robust slate of film and television projects. Upcoming titles include Before I Let Go, based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Kennedy Ryan; and an untitled project based on the life of Chris “Ludacris” Bridges—both in partnership with Universal Television. Lee is also reuniting with Universal Pictures for the highly anticipated Girls Trip 2. Expanding his storytelling into the literary world, Lee will publish his debut novel, The Best Man: Unfinished Business, in July 2025. A continuation of the iconic film franchise’s beloved characters, the book will be released by Storehouse Voices, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group (a division of Penguin Random House LLC). It is the first in a planned trilogy of trade paperbacks, with books two and three slated for release in 2026. Malcolm D. Lee’s work is defined by his unwavering commitment to telling culturally rich, inclusive stories that entertain, inspire, and endure.