Peacock’s (CMCSA) “Bel-Air” — the reimagined, dramatic reboot of ’90s sitcom ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ — is set to make its much anticipated debut on Super Bowl Sunday.
The cast, made up of fresh faces, including newcomer Jabari Banks, told Yahoo Finance that fans can expect a “lot of twists and turns,” and quite a few surprises.
“We definitely take a lot of risks creatively with this script…We’re not put in any boxes,” said actress CoCo Jones, who plays Hilary Banks in the upcoming series.
Jordan Jones, who plays Jazz, added that although many have compared “Bel-Air” to its “Fresh Prince” predecessor, the new version is a much different viewer experience.
“I love being compared to the first but it is not [the first],” he explained.
“We’re all thankful for the first and that’s what laid the groundwork, but, because this is an hour-long drama, you are going to see stories and plot lines just thickened,” the actor continued.
‘Build on the legacy’
‘Bel-Air’ creator Morgan Cooper (who also serves as executive producer, co-writer and director) uploaded a 4-minute spec trailer to YouTube (GOOGL) back in 2019. Less than 24 hours later, Cooper had a meeting with the original “Fresh Prince” himself and the rest is history.
“We spent no marketing dollars on [the trailer.] There was no publicist. The traction we got on it was all organic, which I think made it that much more impactful that it found its way onto Will’s desk,” Cooper revealed.
Smith, who allegedly “went crazy” over Cooper’s dramatic, modern-day concept while filming “Bad Boys 3,” currently serves as executive producer of the series.
“It meant so much to me that Will really appreciated it because it came from a pure place and really wanting to honor what he did, what James Avery and the rest of that incredible cast did 30 years ago, while reimagining that show as a drama,” the filmmaker said. Avery, the acting veteran who died in late 2013, played the original Uncle Phil.
With the new cast taking on the same familiar and beloved roles from the original series, striking the right balance between the past and the present proved challenging.
“I always say we’re standing on the shoulders of giants, so it’s not really about trying to put on a coat that isn’t mine. It’s more about trying to build on the legacy that we already have right there,” Olly Sholotan, who plays Carlton, told Yahoo Finance.
Adrian Holmes, the new Uncle Phil, told Yahoo Finance that he strived to be “as authentic as I could be, and not feel the pressure of having to be a cookie cutter of what [ Avery] was. I know that’s not what he would have wanted for me to do either. He’d want me to just take it and and connect with it [within] this modern, current time.”
‘Bel-Air’ ended up on Peacock after a competitive bidding war that saw it conquer heavy-hitters like Netflix (NFLX), HBO Max (T), Apple TV+ (AAPL) and Amazon Prime Video (AMZN).
Cooper, who noted the process was both “incredible” and “chaotic,” said the team was “looking for a partner who really believed in the vision, and really wanted to preserve the vision.”
The filmmaker went on to reveal that Peacock ultimately won the battle due, in large part, to its competitive two-season order.
“They threw the gauntlet down [and] really demonstrated their commitment and belief in this project,” he concluded.
Alexandra is a Producer & Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193
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