Peacock’s “Bel-Air” unveiled a nostalgia-inducing teaser on Tuesday. In the 48-second video, our new “Will,” Jabari Banks, adorns his throne. We also get word the series will bow in 2022, which is new, but pretty vague and unsurprising.
Watch the teaser via the video above.
“Bel-Air,” which is based on Morgan Cooper’s viral 2019 fan film of the same name, has a two-season order. Cooper is a co-writer, director and executive producer of the Peacock series.
Set in modern-day America, this “Bel-Air” is a serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” that leans into the original premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.
In addition to Banks (which can be a bit confusing since Will’s fictional Bel-Air family shares the same surname), Adrian Holmes plays the new Uncle Phil, Cassandra Freeman is Aunt Viv, Olly Sholotan is Carlton, Coco Jones is Hil, Akira Akbar plays Ashley, Jimmy Akingbola is Geoffrey, Jordan L. Jones is Jazz and Simone Joy Jones plays Lisa.
“At its heart, ‘Bel-Air’ is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the strength and love of the Black family,” co-showrunners T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson said in a statement accompanying the teaser. “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.”
“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?” the two top executive producers continued. “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.”
“Bel-Air” hails from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Westbrook Studios, a division of Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s media company Westbrook Inc.
In addition to Brady, Newson and Cooper, Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Malcolm Spellman, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, and Andy & Susan Borowitz are executive producers.
