The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reboot to Premiere on Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday (February 13, 2022) is the date that Peacock will unveil Bel-Air, its reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Super Bowl LVI takes place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA live at 1 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo. New episodes of Bel-Air will be released weekly. The series is a reimagined take on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which featured Will Smith being sent away from his Philadelphia home to live with his rich uncle and family in Bel-Air. Inherit conflicts, emotions, and biases will be examined with a closer lens in its 30-minute runtime, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show. Will Smith is an executive producer on Bel-Air, with newcomer Jabari Banks portraying a young "Will." Peacock has already given Bel-Air a two-season order.
"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," T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson, executive producers and co-showrunners said. "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.
"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. 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."
"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. 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," Morgan Cooper, director, co-writer, and executive producer said.
"My approach to the series started with a deep focus on tone and really being intentional with my creative choices. I'm inspired by a lot of things as a director; it could be a random conversation, memories from my past, it could be art, music, fashion. Everything can be inspiration, and having a two-season order gives us the opportunity to go infinitely deeper narratively, visually, and aesthetically. I think that with Bel-Air we have created something unique and honest."
Joining Jabari Banks are Adrian Holmes as "Phillip Banks" (At That Age, V Wars), Cassandra Freeman as "Vivian Banks" (The Enemy Within, Atlanta), Olly Sholotan as "Carlton Banks" (Run Hide Fight, Evolution of Nate Gibson), Coco Jones as "Hilary Banks" (Let it Shine, Vampires vs. The Bronx), Akira Akbar as "Ashley Banks" (We Can Be Heroes, Captain Marvel), Jimmy Akingbola as "Geoffrey" (Most Dangerous Game, In The Long Run), Jordan L. Jones as "Jazz" (Rel, Snowfall), and Simone Joy Jones as "Lisa" (The Chair, What If).
Will you be tuning into Bel-Air on Super Bowl Sunday on February 13th? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!