What’s up?
It’s Emile Ennis Jr. here with Clevver News and if you’re a fan of 90s TV shows like
I am, I’ve got some exciting news for you…
Will Smith is working on a Fresh Prince of Bel Air reboot, but it won’t be exactly
like the hit sitcom was!
It’s actually got a dramatic twist!
Alright, so believe it or not, the concept for this Fresh Prince reboot actually started
out right here on YouTube.
Sources told the Hollywood Reporter that the new show has been in the works for more than
a year now after a four minute YouTube video of the concept went viral back in 2019.
Basically, last year, a guy named Morgan Cooper who is a filmmaker and Fresh Prince superfan
put together a trailer for a movie called “Bel-Air” which was “what The Fresh
Prince of Bel-Air might look like if it suddenly returned to the airwaves in 2019.”
Morgan’s trailer is a more dramatic take on the beloved 90s comedy that dives deeper
into what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still keeping all of the major
Fresh Prince beats intact.
“You’re going to Bel Air to live with your uncle and your auntie.
Bel Air?
Out of all places?
This is a second chance Will.
Don’t waste it.”
The Bel-Air trailer quickly went viral raking in over 2.5 million views and fans absolutely
loved the concept of a darker more modern take on the Fresh Prince sitcom.
Morgan’s original concept for Bel-Air was to be a movie reboot, but fans were saying
they think it would be better as a TV or streaming service reboot.
People took to the comments and wrote things like “I'd pay to watch this.
Needs to get made asap, I'd support it.”
This person added “Would make a better Netflix series than movie.
Dope asf”
This fan said “TThis trailer had me desperately hoping to see more.
I hope someone picks this idea up and makes a modern day series.
Ball is in your court Netflix.”
And this person must’ve manifested something with their comment saying “Wtf, i thought
this was real.
MAKE THIS HAPPEN”
AND by the good graces of social media, the trailer actually caught THE Fresh Prince’s
attention.
Yes, this trailer caught Will Smith’s eye!
“Morgan did a ridiculous trailer for Bel-Air, brilliant idea.
The dramatic version of the Fresh Prince for the next generation.”
One thing led to another and now Will and the trailer’s creator, Morgan Cooper, are
teaming up to co-executive produce a TV show based on Morgan’s Bel-Air concept.
Will even invited Morgan onto his YouTube channel to talk about how much he loved the
trailer.
“So I saw this trailer that Morgan Cooper hooked up and it was called Bel Air.”
This is the first time that I heard something and I was like yo that’s an idea that is
brilliant
Some of the original Fresh Prince producers including Will Smith, Quincy Jones, and Benny
Medina, as well as the creators Andy and Susan Borowitz, are all set to return as executive
producers on this new series.
And Morgan Cooper will co-write the script, direct, and be credited as a co-executive
producer for the show.
I mean if this doesn’t inspire you to never give up on your dreams I don’t know what
will!
Around a year ago he uploaded a concept to YouTube and just by putting it out into the
universe, he’s now got a deal with Will Smith himself!
The show is currently being shopped around to various major streaming platforms like
Netflix, HBO Max, and Peacock.
HBO Max is where the original six seasons of Fresh Prince of Bel Air live, but NBC,
which owns Peacock, was the network where the show originally aired.
So who knows where it will end up, we’re just excited it’s being made!
And for those of you worried about this being just another reboot, Will Smith said that
this will be different.
On his YouTube channel he said quote, “The dramatic version of these ideas means that
you can use existing storylines but it’s not gonna seem like you’re redoing an episode
because the storyline is going to be brand new from the dramatic perspective.”
And while there isn’t any official casting news yet, Jerry Madison Jr. played Will in
the trailer and some fans even think he resembles a younger Will Smith!
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see who is going to star in this series, and obviously
we will keep you guys posted as this story continues to unfold.
For now, we’re just excited that this viral YouTube video concept is becoming a reality,
keep dreaming kids!
For more Will Smith news, click right over here to see how he got his teeth knocked out.
And let us know down in the comments below if you’re excited about this reimagined
version Fresh Prince.
I’m your host, Emile Ennis Jr., bye guys!