Ahead of its premiere, Peacock’s latest teaser for Bel-Air shows Will is dealing with much more than “one little fight” this time around.
The dramatic re-imagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air follows the same premise of Will getting in trouble in Philadelphia, then moving to live with his aunt in Bel-Air.
However, this time around we skip the wild ‘90 aesthetic for a more grounded, real world fish out of water story. “As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions, and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known,” per the official synopsis.
In the short new clip, a brawl on the basketball court leads to gunshots, causing Will’s mom Vy to take him straight to the airport.
“At its heart, Bel-Air is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the strength and love of the Black family,” Executive Producers and Co-Showrunners T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson said in a statement. “We have stayed true to the original premise of the legacy series - Will’s life is turned upside down after he is forced to leave West Philly and lands in Bel-Air with its gated mansions and wealth, however, our new series brings Will and the Banks family into the world as we know it now. It’s been incredible to bring these iconic characters to life when you tap them into the cultural pulse of our time. The series was the fabric of so many of our upbringings, tied to memories and the joy of seeing ourselves represented on TV so it is important to us to pay respect to its legacy.”
The series stars Jabari Banks as Will, Adrian Holmes as Phillip Banks, Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Coco Jones as Hilary Banks, Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey, Jordan L. Jones as Jazz and Simone Joy Jones as Lisa.
Bel-Air came from a viral clip Morgan Cooper made where he reinvented the fun ‘90s sitcom as a drama. The video made its way back to Will Smith, and the rest is history. Cooper is now a director, co-writer and executive producer on the series.
“With this dramatic reimagining, we wanted to create a show that stands on its own while honoring the spirit and innovation of the original series. Because Bel-Air is a drama, we’re able to really peel back the layers of these characters and themes in a way that you simply couldn’t do 30 years ago in the half-hour sitcom format,” Cooper said. “We’re able to go have tough conversations that challenge perspectives. At its core, Bel-Air is a celebration of the black experience through the perspective of a family.”
Peacock is setting up Bel-Air for a big push, with the first three episodes premiering Sunday, Feb. 13 aka Super Bowl Sunday. New episodes will then be released every week.