Peacock has released its official trailer for Bel-Air, the reboot series of the 1990’s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And it looks like this series will be a more gritty and dark drama than the comedy series it is based on.
Deadline reports that this is our first look at real footage from the series. The series is based on a viral fan film by Morgan Cooper, which reenvisioned the famous sitcom in a more dramatic fashion. In the trailer, we see gritty instances of drug use, the handling of a gun, and a scene portraying the violent fight that gets Will sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel-Air. It’s anything but one little fight, and a scene in a jail cell suggests that Will’s life is in danger unless he moves.
Newcomer Jabari Banks is portraying Will. Other case members include Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Jimmy Akingbola, Jordan L. Jones, and Simone Joy Jones. Variety reports that the first three episodes will be released on Peacock on February 13. Subsequent episodes will be released every week.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was one of the most iconic shows of the 1990s. The show launched the career of Will Smith, who is still thriving in Hollywood today. It was one of the few shows showing a successful self-made wealthy black family. While it was a comedy, it dealt with serious issues ranging from drug use, gun violence, racism, and parental abandonment. The scene in which Will breaks down after his father abandons him then comes back only to leave him again is considered by some to be the saddest moment in a sitcom ever.
Smith has been planning to reboot The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air since 2015. Only after the unprecedented success of Cooper’s video did the reboot get the vision it needed. Smith and Cooper are both serving as producers for the series, which is being distributed by Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Universal Television.
What do you think of this trailer for Bel-Air? Are you excited to see a more dramatic take on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Please share your thoughts with us on Facebook and Twitter.
