Malcolm D. Lee (born January 11, 1970) is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing comedy films including The Best Man (1999), Undercover Brother (2002), Roll Bounce (2005), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Soul Men (2008), Scary Movie 5 (2013), The Best Man Holiday (2013), Girls Trip (2017), Night School (2018), and Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), and the Peacock comedy-drama miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022).
Malcolm D. Lee | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 11, 1970 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Packer Collegiate Institute Georgetown University |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
Camille Melika Banks
(m. 2000) |
| Relatives |
|
Early life
editMalcolm D. Lee was born on January 11, 1970, in Queens, New York City.[2] He is a graduate of Packer Collegiate Institute and Georgetown University.
He is the cousin of filmmakers Spike Lee, Joie Lee and Cinqué Lee, and still photographer David Lee.
Career
editLee has directed Undercover Brother, The Best Man, Roll Bounce, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Soul Men, Girls Trip, and other films. He also directed an episode of the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. He directed an installment in the Scary Movie franchise, Scary Movie 5. In 2013, he directed The Best Man Holiday, a sequel to The Best Man.[3]
In 2017 Girls Trip, starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith, received positive reviews from critics and grossed $137 million worldwide, with $100 million of that total being from the domestic market, the first comedy of 2017 to do so.[4] The success led to a first look deal with Universal Pictures.[5]
In 2021, Lee directed a sequel to Space Jam titled Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring LeBron James and Don Cheadle.[6] The film was a critical and commercial failure which released during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lee has expressed interest in making a third Space Jam film with Dwayne Johnson as the lead and focusing on wrestling instead of basketball.[7]
Filmography
editFilm
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Best Man | Yes | No | Yes | Role: Emcee |
| 2002 | Undercover Brother | Yes | No | No | |
| 2005 | Roll Bounce | Yes | No | No | |
| 2008 | Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | Yes | Executive | Yes | |
| Soul Men | Yes | No | No | ||
| 2013 | Scary Movie 5 | Yes | No | No | |
| The Best Man Holiday | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2016 | Barbershop: The Next Cut | Yes | Executive | No | |
| 2017 | Girls Trip | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Night School | Yes | Executive | No | |
| 2021 | Space Jam: A New Legacy | Yes | No | No | Also executive soundtrack producer |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Everybody Hates Chris | Yes | No | Episode "Everybody Hates The Lottery" |
| 2017 | Shots Fired | Yes | No | Episode "Hour Four: Truth" |
| 2019 | Wu-Tang: An American Saga | Yes | No | Episode "Box in Hand" |
| 2021 | Harlem | Yes | Yes | Episodes "Pilot" and "Saturn Returns" |
| 2022 | The Best Man: The Final Chapters | Yes | Yes | Also writer and creator |
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Malcolm X | Set production and post-production assistant |
| 1995 | Clockers | Assistant to Spike Lee |
| 1996 | Girl 6 | Director trainee |
References
edit- ^ Brady, Lois Smith (June 4, 2000). "Weddings: Vows; Cami Banks and Malcolm Lee". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ Lucia Bozzola (2014). "Malcolm D. Lee". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ Woodrow, John. (October 1, 2015) 'The Best Man Holiday' movie review: Sequel is both a romp and a shameless tearjerker. The Washington Post. Retrieved on October 20, 2015.
- ^ "'Dunkirk' Seizes $50.5M; 'Girls Trip' Is Malcolm D. Lee's Highest Opening; The Reasons Why 'Valerian' Crashed". Deadline Hollywood. July 23, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ McNary, Dave (July 18, 2017). "'Girls Trip' Director Malcolm D. Lee Signs First-Look Production Deal With Universal". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 16, 2019). "Malcolm D. Lee Takes Over As Director On 'Space Jam 2'". Deadline. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Sanchez, Gabrielle (July 21, 2021). "Space Jam: A New Legacy director Malcom D. Lee is down to make a third film starring Dwayne Johnson". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.