Now this is a story all about how a viral short film was turned into a new series produced by one of Hollywood’s most talented stars. Deets on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” getting the revival treatment that original star Will Smith is executive producing, plus check out the “Saved By The Bell” sequel’s new inclusive trailer inside….
Going viral in the digital space landed one young, black man an opportunity of a lifetime.
Last year, Morgan Cooper’s dramatic take on “The Fresh Prince” in a four-minute trailer went viral. The short film portrayed a gritty take on the popular 90s comedy, and it caught the attention of the iconic show’s original star Will Smith.
Now, Morgan has teamed up with Will for a full-blow series based on the short film.
With a reimagined vision, “Bel-Air” will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases of what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still delivering the swagger and fun nods to the original show, Deadline reports.
Will Smith was blown away by Morgan’s talent in the short “Bel-Air,” so he’s backing the project as an executive producer. Morgan will co-executive produce alongside Will as well as direct and co-write the project. Nice!
Peep the “Bel-Air” trailer below:
Will tracked down Morgan to chop it up with him on his YouTube channel. Morgan explained how he came up with the idea and Will shared how he loved the dramatic version. Peep their interview below:
Sources tell THR the series has been in the works for over a year.
Several people who worked on the original series will be returning, including original producers Quincy Jones and Benny Medina, as well as original creators Andy and Susan Borowitz. Chris Collins (“The Wire” & “Sons of Anarchy”) will reportedly executive producer and has been tapped as showrunner. He’ll also write the script with Morgan.
“Bel-Air” is being shopped around and it’s rumored that several streamers are interested in picking up the contemporary drama, including Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock, Apple & Amazon. The original series aired on NBC.
Deadline reports:
The global popularity of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Smith would make the title appealing to platforms with strong U.S. and international presence such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple.
The original sitcom was a signature series for NBC. That legacy would play into Peacock as a potential home. The NBCU streamer has been actively rebooting classic NBC sitcoms with Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster, and the Fresh Prince reimagening is co-produced by corporate sibling Universal TV.
Once "Bel-Air" gets a home, we'll let you know. The trailer looks very good and we can't wait to see the first episode of the new drama.
In May, Will reunited with the "Fresh Prince" cast virtually to celebrate 30 years since the first episode aired. Check it out HERE.
Thankfully, Will Smith’s movie-production company and Warner Bros. came to a solution and ended their legal battle that threatened the release of their “King Richard” biopic about Richard Williams, the father of tennis powerhouses Venus and Serena Williams. It's slated to be released in 2021.
As for another throwback series...
Bayside is back!
The "Saved By The Bell" sequel will follow a new crop of students at Bayside Hill with a few of the show's original stars reprising their roles. Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley return as A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano, respectively. This time around Jessie is the mother of football team captain Jamie (Belmont Cameli) and Slater is a gym teacher at the school. Mark-Paul Gosselaar is set to return as Zach Morris, who is now the governor of California. He has been coming under fire for closing too many low-income high schools.
Actor Dexter Darden will play DeVante, a mysterious loner who comes to Bayside with a bad reputation but secretly wants to reinvent himself. Actress Alycia Pascual-Pena (above, right) will play Aisha, a super competitive tom-boy who wants to try out for the football team. And actress Haskiri Velazquez (above, middle) will play Daisy, a smart, ambitious sophomore who's excited to attend Bayside after her local school is shut down.
Peep the trailer above.
Lark Voorhies - who played fashionista gossip queen Lisa Turtle in the original series - will not be in the sequel. Back in February, she shared she felt "hurt and slighted" that she was snubbed from the series. Interestingly, this sequel has more people of color than the original ever did.
The "Saved By The Bell" sequel will air on NBC's subscription streaming service Peacock. As of now, no premiere date has been set. It's reported the final episodes haven't been shot yet due to the pandemic.
EXTRAS
1. Nia DaCosta, who directed the anticipated reboot of Candyman, has been tapped as director on Marvel’s sequel to Captain Marvel. STORY
2. Lionsgate's horror film Antebellum - starring Janelle Monae - will premiere as a Premium On-Demand release, debuting on all platforms on September 18th. The film will be released theatrically in select international markets.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot
source: theybf
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