For years, Will Smith refused to entertain the thought of a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot, revival, spin-off, whatever you want to call it. His official line is that it would happen “when hell freezes over.” However, the mega-star actor/rapper/producer abruptly changed his tune back in October 2019 when he announced that a new series is in the works, and that day has finally come, but with a twist.
While the original Fresh Prince was a half-hour NBC sitcom with memorable dramatic moments peppered in, this new reboot will be an hour-long drama simply titled Bel-Air. The project has been in the works ever since Smith saw the viral YouTube video of the same name and immediately teamed up with its creator Morgan Cooper to hash out a full series based on his more serious approach to the beloved sitcom. Via The Hollywood Reporter:
Bel-Air is described as an hourlong dramatic retelling of the beloved ’90s sitcom that leans into the original premise of Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. 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.
Despite the fact that HBO Max is currently the home for the original Fresh Prince episodes, there’s no guarantee that it will be the home for Bel-Air. Smith’s production company Westbrook Studios shopped the series to Peacock and Netflix who, along with HBO Max, have all entered bids to land the unusual reboot that will no doubt draw in long-time Fresh Prince fans. Of course, the biggest question is how do you make the Carlton Dance full of even more dramatic tension, and the answer is you don’t. It’s impossible.
You can watch the original Bel-Air video below:
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)