The new Fresh Prince is taking a slight detour on his journey to Bel-Air.
Peacock’s dramatic reimagining of the iconic Will Smith comedy is now expected to premiere sometime in 2022, according to The Hollywood Reporter, following significant behind-the-scenes changes — the biggest change being that T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson are taking over as showrunners, replacing Chris Collins. (Empire vet Diane Houston was originally brought in to succeed Collins but she has also departed, per THR.)
Brady and Newson’s previous small-screen credits include Showtime’s The Chi, USA Network’s Shooter, Lifetime’s Army Wives and The CW’s The 100.
Bel-Air is officially described by Peacock as a “serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the ’90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that leans into the original premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show.”
The reboot is based on Morgan Cooper’s 2019 parody trailer, which went viral in 2019. Cooper is on board as a director, co-writer and co-executive producer. Watch the trailer below:
Casting is not yet underway for the Smith-produced reboot, which received a two-season order in September 2020.
The original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ran for six seasons (1990–1996) on NBC.
Are you looking forward to Bel-Air‘s eventual premiere? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the reboot below.
