‘Bel-Air’: The New Will Smith Flees Trouble in West Philly in Teaser for Upcoming Reboot
Peacock has shared a new teaser from Bel-Air, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air reboot, which arrives on the streaming service on Super Bowl Sunday.
The 45-second preview focuses on the confrontation at a West Philadelphia pickup basketball game that leads to the character Will Smith’s sojourn to Bel Air. While that incident is simply described in the opening credits from the original sitcom — where the main aggressor picks up the Will Smith and spins him around — the fight is much more harrowing in the dramatic reboot, with punches thrown, guns drawn, and police called.
The first three of 10 hourlong episodes of Bel-Air will stream Feb. 13 on Peacock, with new episodes to follow weekly.
The series was inspired by the 2019 fake trailer — created by cinematographer Morgan Cooper, who now serves as director and co-writer on Bel Air — that turned the Nineties sitcom into a “dramatic retelling.”
“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,” Cooper previously said in a statement. “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,” Cooper said in a statement. “My approach to the series started with a deep focus on tone and really being intentional with my creative choices… 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.”
