A 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Reboot is in the works

NBC’s hit late ‘90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is getting a fresh new reboot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the classic coming of age comedy that ran from 1990 - 1996, that essentially put Will Smith on the map, is being reimagined as a dramatic serial. This a story all about how one Morgan Cooper made a fan-made trailer of the show early last year and how his life got flipped-turned upside down.

This trailer went on to eventaully catch the attention of the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith who immediately supported the project. Smith was on board with the idea of taking a more serious approach on what it means to be a Black man living in America today. From the initial trailer, we see a much darker tone than the light-hearted and fun spirited original where this modern-day Will (played by Jerry Madison) has a run-in with the law after a fight escalates during a game of basketball. The trailer then continues to delve deeper into the emotional and political aspects of things showing us the biases and struggles of a young African-American man trying to rectify his past, while still remaining as true to the overall concept of the original show.

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” ran for 148 episodes spanning over six seasons from 1990 - 1996.

The Hollywood Reporter has stated that the new show has been in the works for over a year with Smith being attached as an executive producer along with Quincy Jones, Benny Medina and creators Andy and Susan Borowitz. Morgan Cooper is set to write, direct and oversee the project also being credited as a co-EP.

While the original series is currently available for streaming in it’s entirety on HBO Max, Netflix and Peacock have also expressed interest in the new potential series and are said to be bidding over the show.

Reboots have always proved to be a highly profitable market mostly due to already having an established fanbase and the nostalgia factor that comes with it so it goes without saying that it would be a much easier pick for major streaming platforms as opposed to having to market an entirely new show. However, the determining factor in a reboot’s success is having the original creators and show runners work alongside the new acts and that already seems to be the case with “Bel-Air”. Chris Collins and Terrence Carter are attached as executive producers with the former also co-writing with Cooper.