This is really happening. Will Smith is bringing back his classic sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for a modern reboot. Or at leastâif you’re one of Deadline‘s industry sourcesâa series that “draws parallels” and is “in the style of” the original series.
It was announced on Tuesday that Smith is slated to produce a new, updated incarnation of the television series that arguably made him a household name. For this latest iteration of Fresh Prince, Smith is reportedly executive producing the reboot through his Overbrook Entertainment production company without a network currently attached to it. The development of this project is so early that itâs not even known how the new Fresh Prince will âput a new spin on the fish out of water tale while maintaining the spirit of the original series.â But it feels safe to say the dynamic will stay intact.
The story, as originally reported by TVLine, called it a full-on reboot, however Deadline stresses that the show will not exist as a copy-and-paste reimagining, but rather a family comedy with the same feel. But it’s important to remember that it’s still in the very early stages, so that could very easily change.
The original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air debuted on NBC in 1990, and it featured Smith as a fictionalized version of himself who was shipped off from West PhiladelphiaâBorn and raised!âto live in Bel-Air with his rich Uncle Phil (James Avery) and his Aunt Viv (Janet Hubert-Whitten and later, Daphne Maxwell Reid). The series ran for six seasons and cemented Smith as the mega-star of all of the things that he is today.
For the new incarnation of Fresh Prince, Smith is co-producing it with his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, James Lassiter, and Caleeb Pinkett. Only time will tell if he makes it a truly family-oriented affair.
Fresh Prince fans, what do you want to see in reboot of the series? Nobody say âJaden Smith,â okay?! Let us know in the comment section below!
HT: TVLine