The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is getting the reboot treatment, but with a major twist. Will Smith, who broke through as the star of the ’90s sitcom, is producing a grittier dramatic remake of the series inspired by a fan trailer made by Morgan Cooper last year.
The viral short film, which has garnered more than 2.5 million views since it was posted it in March 2019, delves deeper into Will’s backstory in West Philadelphia before his mother sent him to live with his family in the wealthy Los Angeles neighborhood. Rest assured: Uncle Phil, Aunt Viv, Carlton, Hilary, Ashley, and even Jazz still make appearances.
“With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases of what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still delivering the swagger and fun nods to the original show,” Deadline reported of the reboot.
Bel-Air has reportedly been in the works for over a year, after the YouTube video caught the original fresh prince’s attention, per The Hollywood Reporter. Smith even told Cooper the idea was “brilliant,” per Deadline.
The hour-long series will be produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Universal Television. Cooper will direct and co-executive-produce the series. He’s also co-writing with The Wire scribe Chris Collins, who’ll serve as an executive producer and showrunner.
It’s currently unclear when or where the reboot will premiere. Considering the legacy of the original series, a number of streaming platforms are vying to host the remake, including Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock, Amazon, and Apple, according to Deadline.
The original Fresh Prince ran from 1990 to 1996 on NBC. The episodes are currently available to stream on HBO Max.
Watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
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