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Will Smith Reveals New Drama Version Of ‘Bel-Air’ To Stream On Peacock

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: News

The reimagined show was already picked up for two seasons.

(AllHipHop News) Last month, news broke that Will Smith was working with filmmaker Morgan Cooper to produce a remake of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. However, the 2020s version of the classic 1990s sitcom will be presented as a dramatic series.

Smith has now officially confirmed a modern-day, hour-long Bel-Air is headed to NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service. The Hip Hop performer-turned-Hollywood powerbroker made the announcement on his official YouTube channel and Instagram page.

He posted on IG:

18 months ago, a young filmmaker from Kansas City @cooperfilms uploaded a video on YouTube reimagining The @freshprince of Bel-Air for present day as a DRAMA! Everybody sent it to me. It was outstanding. I had NEVER envisioned revisiting the Banks family in this way. We knew this was special, so we called @ryokanproductions and asked him to lead the team (he wrote on The Wire) and he said YES! Months of writing, developing and pitching… and now it’s happening. “Bel-Air” got a TWO SEASON order, debuting in 2021 on @nbc’s streaming service @peacocktv. Morgan Cooper and Chris Collins, you are THE TRUTH!! : @westbrook

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Bel-Air was inspired by Cooper’s 4-minute fan-made trailer for a dramatic retelling of the Will Smith-led Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. The clip of a potential “dark” and “gritty” show has amassed nearly 3 million YouTube views since landing on the platform in 2019.

The original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired on NBC for six seasons from 1990 to 1996. Besides Will Smith, the program also starred James Avery, Janet Hubert, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana Ali, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, and Ross Bagley.

Morgan Cooper will direct and executive produce Bel-Air. Chris Collins is credited as an executive producer and showrunner. Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, Andy Borowitz, and Susan Borowitz are also listed as executive producers. Cooper and Collins are co-writing the script.