Malcolm D. Lee extends first-look deal with Universal Television

On the heels of his hit series “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” on Peacock, Malcolm D. Lee has extended his First Look contract with Universal Television.

As part of the deal, he will continue to write, develop and produce new projects through his Blackmaled Productions banner for a variety of platforms.

“Malcolm is an incredibly gifted writer, director and producer with an impressive ability to tell entertaining, nuanced stories that shatter records along the way,” said Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television. “We are thrilled with the success of ‘The Best Man: The Final Chapters’ and look forward to partnering with Malcolm on many more exciting and memorable projects.”

One of the original minds behind the 1999 film, Lee served as creator, executive producer and co-showrunner of the miniseries, which was released last year. Featuring the return of the film’s iconic class, the eight-part show concludes Lee’s “Best Man” franchise.

After its premiere, the series became Peacock’s biggest series debut ever and the first series on the platform to make it into Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming, ranking No. 5 in its first week. . It also recently earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination, as well as seven NAACP Image Award nominations and three wins, including one for “Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special.”

“The UTV crew has been incredibly supportive as I navigated the television landscape,” said Malcolm D. Lee. “Continuing our flourishing partnership made sense on so many levels. I’m delighted to know that Blackmaled will continue to build our robust slate in a place I can call home.

In 2021, Lee released “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” featuring LeBron James. Through his Blackmaled Productions banner, Lee is currently overseeing several projects in development, including “The Classic” and “Real Talk” with Universal Pictures and “The Spoils” with Lionsgate Films.

Lee and Blackmaled Productions are represented by A3 Artists Agency; Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein, Lezcano, Bobb & Dang; and Bazan PR.