When I got the call, they said, 'This isn't Will Smith, superstar.' They weren't going for that. Growing up, people always told me I resembled Will and his energy. Banks actually talked Entertainment Weekly about the role, and how much it means to him. Will Smith’s character - aptly named Will - is going to be played by newcomer to Hollywood, Jabari Banks, who’s originally from West Philadelphia. Obviously, you can’t have Bel-Air without the prince of it. (Image credit: Peacock) Bel-Air Has Cast Will, Along With The Rest Of The Main Characters While I will always have a special place in my heart for the comedy of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I can agree that a dramatic version of the show might work very well, and tell a really interesting story that’s relevant to today. At its core, Bel-Air is a celebration of the black experience through the perspective of a family. We're able to go have tough conversations that challenge perspectives. 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. 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. Morgan Cooper, one of the directors, co-writers and executive producers of Bel-Air, said that their goal was to honor the spirit of the original while also going deeper into the characters that we all remember so well: However, now the show will have more freedom to dive deeper into the conflicts of growing up in an area very different from the one you relocate to, from the emotions someone would feel, to the biases that occur because of race, class, and more.

In the show, our lead is still Will, and he does hail from Philadelphia, moving to Bel-Air to live with his aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Instead, Bel-Air is going to be a dramatic retelling of the original show, leaning into that same premise that we know and love, but going deeper into modern day themes surrounding it. If you didn’t know, Bel-Air isn’t going to be the comedy that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was. (Image credit: NBC) Bel-Air Will Be A Dramatic Reimagining Of The Original Sitcom

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