PEACOCK’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DRAMA SERIES BEL-AIR INTRODUCES NEWCOMER AND WEST PHILLY LOCAL JABARI BANKS IN ICONIC ROLE ORIGINATED BY WILL SMITH

The Reimagined Series, Based on Morgan Cooper’s Viral Fan Film Bel-Air, Comes from Universal Television and Westbrook Studios, and was Previously Picked Up for Two Seasons

Peacock’s highly anticipated drama series Bel-Air, a contemporary reimagining of the beloved and culture defining 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has cast newcomer and West Philadelphia local Jabari Banks in the iconic role of “Will” originated by Will Smith.

The news was announced today via Will Smith directly as he surprised Jabari with this life-changing news.

 

Peacock previously ordered two seasons of the series adaptation of Morgan Cooper’s viral fan film Bel-Air. See Will Smith’s original announcement:.

 

Cooper wrote and directed the four-minute spec trailer, debuting the video on social media in March 2019. The trailer, which currently has nearly 7 million views on YouTube, caught the attention of Smith, and in a reaction video Smith called the film and idea brilliant. 

 

ABOUT THE SERIES:

• Co-Showrunners / Executive Producers: T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson
• ​Director / Co-Writer / Executive Producer: Morgan Cooper
• Executive Producers: Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Malcolm Spellman, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, and Andy & Susan Borowitz
• ​Produced By: 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.
• Format: Drama series
• ​Filming Location: Los Angeles, CA and Philadelphia, PA

 

SERIES DESCRIPTION:

Set in modern-day America, Bel-Air is a serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the 90’s 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. With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show.

 

ABOUT JABARI BANKS:

Jabari Banks lives in West Philly. He graduated from University of the Arts in Philly in 2020. In addition to acting, Jabari is an accomplished songwriter, singer, rapper, and basketball player.