The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air may be returning to the airwaves at long last, but not in the form you might expect. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series is being rebooted with a darker and more dramatic tone.
The new series is being developed by Matthew Cooper, who achieved Internet fame in March 2019 with the release of Bel-Air, an unlicensed faux-trailer for a proposed Fresh Prince reboot. That trailer seems to have had the desired effect, with THR reporting Cooper’s work caught the eye of original series star Will Smith. The reboot is also titled Bel-Air and is a co-production between Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Universal TV.
Cooper is co-writing and directing the pilot and will serve as co-executive producer on the new series. Chris Collins (The Wire) is serving as showrunner and executive producer and is co-writing the script with Cooper. Original series creators Andy and Susan Borowitz and producers Smith, Quincy Jones and Benny Medina will also executive produce Bel-Air. No cast members have been announced, and it’s unclear if any of the actors from the Bel-Air trailer will return.
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true”]
While Bel-Air hasn’t yet found a home, THR notes “Peacock, Netflix and HBO Max are among the streamers who are bidding on the potential series.” It’s worth noting the original series is streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ran for six seasons on NBC between 1990 and 1996. The series starred Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, following his character’s struggles after leaving the hard streets of West Philadelphia for plush, sunny Bel-Air. The series also starred James Avery as gruff Uncle Phil, Janet Hubert-Whitten and later Daphne Maxwell Reid as Aunt Vivian, Alfonso Ribeiro as Will’s preppy, nerdy cousin Carlton and Smith’s musical collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff as his best friend Jazz.
While The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a multi-camera sitcom, the idea of a dark and dramatic reboot isn’t necessarily a huge stretch. The series was notable for featuring more serious moments, with Season 4’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse” and Smith’s emotional performance being especially well-regarded.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/25/aladdin-fresh-prince-of-agrabah-rap”]
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is just the latest classic series to get a new lease on life in 2020. ABC has ordered a pilot for a Wonder Years reboot featuring an African American family in ’60s-era Alabama. Comedy Central, meanwhile, is reviving Beavis and Butt-Head and MTV’s short-lived Clone High animated series.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Be Rebooted as a Drama