Will Smith is apparently eager to get in on the 90s nostalgia craze, as the actor is developing a modern reboot of beloved TV series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop, with the outlet telling us that the new show is based on Morgan Cooper’s viral YouTube trailer, with Cooper also on board to help adapt his work alongside Smith. Simply titled Bel-Air, the project is being pitched as a “dramatic take on the former NBC comedy that catapulted Smith to stardom.”
For those unfamiliar with Cooper’s video, it’s a four-minute clip that went viral last year and obviously, caught Smith’s eye. Cooper created and directed it and it imagined the show as a drama. It was a big hit with fans and took the internet by storm. And now, the filmmaker will get to see his vision realized via a full TV series which he’ll be actively involved in.
As for where the project will end up, well, it’s now being shopped to various streamers, with Peacock, Netflix and HBO Max all in the mix to pick it up. No one has signed on just yet, but we imagine it won’t have much trouble finding a home and should land somewhere soon.
Of course, the big question is whether or not Fresh Prince still has the same cachet all these years later. The original oozed charm, with Smith going from a rapper to a compelling screen actor over the course of the show. Whether this new take will be able to recapture the magic of that performance, and indeed the series as a whole, remains to be seen. And while 90s nostalgia is certainly a hot trend right now, there’s no guarantee that a new generation will latch onto the reboot like the previous one latched onto the original.
Still, news of a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot is certainly exciting and with any luck, Smith’s involvement will ensure it turns out to be a worthy follow-up to the project that made him a star.
