Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fans are finally getting a first glimpse at the upcoming retelling of the sitcom. On Tuesday morning, Peacock dropped a teaser for the upcoming series Bel-Air, a “contemporary reimagining” of original show produced by its star, Will Smith.
As theGrio previously reported, this dramatic retelling of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was announced earlier this year. Set to stream on Peacock in 2022, the series reportedly “leans into the original premise of Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.”
The series stars Jabari Banks in the iconic role of Will, and viewers get a sneak peek at his take on the character in the new preview.
The exciting clip features a voiceover from Smith, who reads the original theme song as fans are introduced to Banks’ Will. The clip then features plenty of nods to the original series, with Banks rocking the same classic Jordans that he wore in the original series. Banks floats underwater in the teaser, with basketballs, a trophy and ATVs floating past him. The clip ends with a crown.
Executive producers and co-showrunners T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson shared a statement regarding the series, stating, “At its heart, Bel-Air is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the strength and love of the Black family.”
“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.”
They also shared their excitement regarding Banks, who they say “won their hearts” in the role of Will. “During the development of Bel-Air, the most daunting question was: Could we find a young actor who’d be able to step into the role of Will Smith? Well, did we ever find him,” they say.
“His name is Jabari Banks and he won our hearts in the same way he won this role. Our creative team, including Will Smith, recognized that Jabari embodied the talent, charisma, and sheer swagger necessary to make this iconic role his own.”
As theGrio previously reported, earlier this year Banks shared his excitement in a post on Instagram. He wrote to his followers, “Now this is a story all about how, MY life got flipped-turned upside down, And I’d like to take a minute just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called BEL-AIR ✨.”
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