The wait for the dark reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is almost over.
Executive produced by the original ‘Fresh Prince” Will Smith himself, Bel-Air is a modern-day, serious twist on the tale of a troubled Philadelphia teen sent to live with his affluent aunt’s family in California after a violent incident threatens his life and future.
With a cast of somewhat lesser-known faces, including newcomer Jabari Banks as protagonist Will, Bel-Air is primed to give a new generation its own unique attachment to the characters of the Banks family and the stories of Will’s coming-of-age as a fish out of water.
Though the show’s teaser trailer featured narration from Will Smith, it is unclear if his signature voice will be part of Bel-Air‘s weekly run. The show co-stars Adrian Holmes as Uncle Phil, Cassandra Freeman as Aunt Viv, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Coco Jones as Hilary Banks, Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey, Jordan L. Jones as Jazz and Simone Joy Jones as love interest Lisa.
Born of a self-made “trailer” that was released to YouTube in 2019 and quickly went viral, the official Peacock trailer for Bel-Air is a full-circle moment. What was originally a short-film production project, a dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince story conceptualized and shot by Morgan Cooper, got so popular that it drew the eyes of Will Smith himself and eventually NBCUniversal for production into a full series.
As Peacock describes the show as a one-hour drama set in modern-day America, that “imagines the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air through a new, dramatic take on Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.”
“As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions, and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.”
Morgan Cooper now serves as co-executive producer on his brainchild, alongside Will Smith, Benny Medina, Quincy Jones, and original show creators Andy and Susan Borowitz.
Take a look at the trailer here:
Bel-Air will premiere three episodes on February 13, with one to follow weekly thereafter on Peacock.