What can we really count on from “The Remaining Chapters?” The final film, we received excited, it had a Christmas theme, the trailer was very festive and jolly, after which — bam — Mia dies from most cancers. Are you setting us as much as cry once more?
Lee: I’ll let you know, we’re going to be in some locations which can be going to the touch your coronary heart. There is no query about it. Nevertheless it’s additionally a mirrored image of life, and I feel that is simply what individuals recognize concerning the franchise — the relatability of it, and the shock that life can convey to us, and the expansion that we’ve as {couples} and as people. Generally that does not all the time line up, and well being scares, and issues which can be taking place in our physique that we do not count on as a result of we attain a sure age and issues do not work as effectively, each internally and externally. So yeah, I imply, I am not saying that you’ll cry. I am not saying that you just’re not. You may.
One factor that stood out to me was the absence of the nice Stanley Clarke. He did the music for lots of your motion pictures. Are you able to speak about not having him this time?
Lee: Yeah, I imply, I like Stanley. I owe Stanley a terrific debt of gratitude for doing the primary and the second motion pictures. It is so humorous, too, as a result of he launched me to Robert Glasper [the composer for “The Final Chapters”] on the “Barbershop” movie we did together. Robert did a few chords on that. I like Robert’s music, and I believed he was an excellent composer to convey us into this new millennium and with this franchise. So, love Stanley, I might work with him once more. I contemplate him a pal, however I feel it was Robert Glasper’s time to come back and freak his personal spin on “The Greatest Man” soundtrack.
So, the sequence is eight episodes — that is twice so long as each motion pictures mixed. How was that? Did that provide you with extra time to hone in additional on different characters that you just weren’t capable of do within the motion pictures?
Lee: Yeah, it positively provides you a chance to be extra expansive within the storytelling and sort out some points and a few themes that Dayna [Lynne North, executive producer and co-showrunner] and I wished to sort out about midlife metamorphosis. Once more, so many issues occur at this age as a single particular person, as an individual making an attempt to reconnect in life, to Lance making an attempt to determine what his subsequent transfer is, is he going to search out love once more? Jordan’s subsequent step in her profession; is she ever going to have youngsters? Is she going to search out love once more? Are she and Harper going to hyperlink up? Are Harper and Robin going to final? Are Murch and Candace going to final? There’s all these items that you just need to discover. So it is nice to have that chance to get a bit bit extra granular in your storytelling. It was nice, however once more, there’s by no means sufficient time.
“The Greatest Man: The Remaining Chapters” premieres on Peacock on December 22, 2022.