Culture

Last year, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air super-fan Morgan Cooper created and directed a short fan trailer that reimagined the series as if it were a darker, grittier show. Called simply Bel-Air, the four-minute clip drew on the show’s underlying narrative of the wisecracking working-class kid who gets in trouble on the tough streets of West Philadelphia, and is sent off to stay with his uncle and aunt in very unfamiliar surroundings: the wealthy, gated Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air. The short clip went viral when it was posted in March, and even caught original actor Will Smith’s attention.

According to website The Hollywood Reporter, Smith was so taken by the trailer when it went viral the actor himself tracked Cooper down for an interview on his YouTube channel.

Now Cooper’s “trailer” is all set to expand into an actual TV series. Set in the present, the reboot’s hour-long episodes will delve into the emotional conflicts and dramatic potential of the original premise. It certainly will reflect current times and moods. Cooper will co-write the script, direct and executive-produce. Chris Collins, who has worked on The Wire and Sons of Anarchy, will serve as showrunner as well as executive producer, and co-write the script with Cooper. It has been in the works for over a year now.

The drama series is a co-production between Smith’s Westbrook Studios and original producers Universal TV. Original series producers Smith, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina as well as creators Andy and Susan Borowitz will all return as executive producers.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ran for six seasons between 1990-1996 on NBC. Smith starred alongside James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell and Janet Hubert-Whitten, who was later replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. So big was Smith on the show that he went on to star in blockbuster hits such as franchises Men In Black, Bad Boys and Ali.

Source: AFP Relax News