More than a year ago, director Morgan Cooper dropped a fan-made trailer for Bel-Air, which served as a grounded and gritty reimagining of the classic Will Smith-led sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The short trailer attracted some major attention, including from Will Smith himself, and it seems that we haven't seen the last of Bel-Air.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Studios and Universal Television are currently pitching an hour-long TV drama based on Morgan Cooper's Bel-Air, and it seems that it's already drawing some very strong interest from streaming services as well as multiple straight-to-series orders. Let's get this bidding war started! Morgan Cooper will be returning to direct and co-executive produce the potential Bel-Air series, which he will be co-writing with Chris Collins (The Man in the High Castle). Collins will be an executive producer and serve as showrunner on Bel-Air, which will be set in modern-day America and explore the drama behind the "complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air." The reimagining will "dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format, while still delivering swagger and fun nods to the original show."
Now, I'm one of the few people who have never actually watched a single episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, despite being a fan of Will Smith, but I'll admit that the dramatic take on the series has definitely piqued my interest. The original series is still a huge draw (it's now streaming on HBO Max) and I've no doubt that Bel-Air could strike a similar chord if done right.