We are going back to Bel-Air with a tense reboot of the iconic TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s exciting that the Fresh Prince is coming back as a dramatic series with a newish name ‘Bel-Air.’
Will Smith, who played the loveable street smart nephew from the rough side of Philly, is an executive producer of the show. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air introduced us to Will Smith as an actor who primarily rapped at the time. His DJ, Jazzy Jeff, made his mark as an actor as well. He played “Jazz” on the show in a reoccurring role as his best friend.
The reboot will return as ‘Bel-Air,’ an hour-long series showing us the grittier and often overlooked dramatic side of the original TV show. It’s a story about how Will got into trouble in Philly and ended up living in his auntie and uncle’s house in Bel-Air.
Morgan Cooper, who’s a director-writer, superfan filmed trailer back in 2019.
Director-writer, Morgan Cooper came up with this unique reimagination, and we are grateful. Cooper is a superfan of the show and created a popular 2019 dramatic trailer. The preview pulled in high numbers on YouTube, which eventually caught the attention of Will Smith. When Smith viewed the teaser, he said, “That’s an idea that is brilliant.”
For over a year, ‘Bel-Air‘ has been gearing up for production under Will Smith’s company, Westbrook studios. Universal Television is also involved in bringing the project to its fullest potential. Cooper will act as the director and get help from writer Chris Collins who wrote for Sons of Anarchy and The Wire. When Smith learned about the trailer, he said, “That’s an idea that is brilliant.”
Sustaining the original series’ vibe, Quincy Jones, Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz, and Benny Medina are returning to executive produce. Benny Medina created the concept for the show, which ran for six seasons from 1990 to 1996.
Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max, and Apple fighting for ‘Fresh Prince‘ reboot ‘Bel-Air.’
There’s no set a date for the release of ‘Bel-Air‘ as of yet. Based on the trailer, it’s no surprise that a bidding war is happening for the rights to the reimagined drama. Producers are in talks with Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and HBO Max.
Streaming services like Netflix have seriously supported black creators by investing in the past and future of the culture. Netflix is bringing back black sitcoms from the late ’90s and early 2000s. Moesha is the first to return, along with The Game, Girlfriends, One on One, and more. Netflix might be the best place for this series because of its large base and their appreciation for black stories.
You can check out the trailer for ‘Bel-Air’ below and let us know if you’re here for or it or not.
