Can You Stream ‘The Best Man Holiday’?
The Best Man Holiday premiered in theaters on Nov. 15, 2013. The film reunited celebrities such as Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, and Nia Long. In February 2021, Peacock announced that the franchise would air its final installment in a limited series. However, are the first two The Best Man movies available to stream?
Why ‘The Best Man Holiday’ took a long time to make
In the mid-1990s, director Malcolm Lee began working on the first The Best Man movie. At the time, he was frustrated with the films with a primarily Black audience. So, he set out to make a film that reflected his life as a young, Black graduate of New York University. Lee shared in the book Best. Movie. Year. Ever. that there was a “hunger” for characters who represented different experiences.
On Oct. 22, 1999, The Best Man premiered. The movie starred Diggs as Harper Stewart, a Chicago writer whose best friend, Lance (Chestnut), is getting married. Throughout the film, Harper attempts to hide his new novel from Lance, as it details his real affair with his bride-to-be Mia (Monica Calhoun). Eventually, the author gets caught, and chaos ensues among them and their college friends Quentin (Howard), Murch (Harold Perrineau), and Jordan (Long).
Following its premiere, The Best Man earned a reported $9,031,660 in its opening weekend. The film also resulted in more work for its actors, including Diggs, Howard, and Long. However, many of its fans wanted to see the characters in the 1990s film together again. In a 2013 interview with The Washington Post, Lee explained why he created The Best Man Holiday 14 years after its predecessor.
“I didn’t want to do a sequel right away,” he said. “It wasn’t like I was trying to make a sequel. There were talks from fans and even the studio back then that we should consider doing a sequel. That wasn’t my focus. I didn’t want to repeat myself or get pigeonholed as a director or a storyteller.”
Is ‘The Best Man Holiday’ available to stream?
Although the film took 14 years to make, fans of the first installment came out in droves for the sequel. In its opening weekend, it earned an estimated $30,107,555 per The Numbers. The sequel also brought out a demand for a third movie with the original cast.
Since its release, The Best Man Holiday has had an on and off relationship with streaming services. Both The Best Man movies were previously available on Netflix and Starz until recently. According to Just Watch, fans of the film can rent or buy it via YouTube, Amazon, DirectTv, and RedBox.
As far as streaming services, Peacock is the only one that has The Best Man Holiday. However, viewers will need a subscription to the site, which is $4.99 per month.
Peacock is launching a series for ‘The Best Man’
Peacock’s interest in acquiring The Best Man Holiday most likely stems from its new venture with the film’s cast. According to Deadline, a 10-part limited series will premiere on the network. The show is bringing back Lee as the franchise’s director and writer. Additionally, its original stars signed on to the project.
“We’re excited to reunite this beloved cast for a limited series run of The Best Man for Peacock,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television, and Streaming to the outlet.
“With a powerhouse duo like Malcolm and Dayna [Lynn North] at the helm, fans will fall in love with our favorite group of friends all over again,” she continued.
