The story of the Fresh Prince has officially been flipped-turned upside down.
We’d like to take a minute (just sit right there!) to tell you how Will Smith became the executive producer of a reboot called “Bel-Air.”
In 2019, a fan-made pitch trailer reimagining “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as gritty drama went viral on YouTube.
Now, Smith himself is teaming up with the trailer’s writer and director, Morgan Cooper, for a “Fresh Prince” reboot called “Bel-Air” that will take a cue from his reimagining of the series.
Cooper is set to write and direct the hourlong drama, and will serve as another executive producer alongside Chris Collins (”The Wire”), who will be a co-writer and showrunner, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series is reportedly being shopped to various streaming services.
NBC’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” a half-hour comedy, ran for six seasons — from 1990 to 1996 — and is currently available on HBO Max.
In Morgan’s trailer, Will’s exodus from West Philadelphia is a drama instead of a comedy. He still goes to Bel-Air to live with his auntie and uncle, but tense music and high-stakes confrontations take the place of Smith’s rap lyrics, wacky asides to the camera and zany hijinks. Will moves to live with his welathy relatives in California after he’s caught with a gun.
“My life ain’t a sitcom, Aunt Viv,” the new Will says in a wink to the original series.
Smith weighed in on Cooper’s trailer in a YouTube video with Cooper last year, calling the concept “brilliant.” (Smith’s reaction video tops the original trailer by several million views.)
“As funny as the episodes are, there was a whole other layer that you couldn’t do,” Smith said. “In a one-hour drama you could do eight-episode arcs.”
In the reaction video, Smith went on to say that there would still be potential to reuse existing storylines from the show because a new series would mean a shift in genre. He also pointed out how the old series, though a comedy, mirrored a harsh reality.
“I moved to LA and started ‘The Fresh Prince’ and all of my friends started getting killed and going to jail,” he said. “The escape that I made from it in real life was was the escape that Will made in the show.”
Cooper, who grew up watching “Fresh Prince,” will be joined by Smith as well as original executive producers Quincy Jones and Benny Medina and series creators Andy and Susan Borowitz on the project, according to the report.
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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Send a coronavirus tip here.
The Link LonkAugust 12, 2020 at 10:09AM
https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2020/08/fresh-prince-drama-reboot-in-the-works-from-will-smith-and-creator-of-viral-bel-air-trailer.html
‘Fresh Prince’ drama reboot in the works from Will Smith and creator of viral ‘Bel-Air’ trailer - NJ.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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