When Morgan Cooper put out a YouTube trailer for a dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that went viral in March 2019, he presumably had no idea that he’d eventually be working on an actual reboot of the beloved ’90s sitcom with Will Smith himself, but that’s exactly what’s happened: the actor and Cooper are teaming up to produce Bel-Air.
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, “With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases of what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still delivering the swagger and fun nods to the original show.”
The series has reportedly been in the works for over a year, after Cooper’s viral video caught the attention of Smith. Cooper will co-write the script, direct and serve as a co-executive producer. Original series producers Smith, Quincy Jones and Benny Medina are all set to return as executive producers as well, along with creators Andy and Susan Borowitz.
Bel-Air is currently being shopped around to various streaming services, and while there’s no official word on where the series might wind up, The Hollywood Reporter writes that Peacock, Netflix and HBO Max are among those who have bid on the show.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air originally ran on NBC from 1990 to 1996. You can watch Cooper’s original trailer below.
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