Bel-Air (film)

Bel-Air is a 2019 short fan film written and directed by Morgan Cooper, based on the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The film serves as a mock trailer for a darker, more dramatic re-imagining of the sitcom in the style of Ryan Coogler films. It was uploaded on YouTube on March 10, 2019.[1][2] In August 2020, it was announced that it was being developed into a full television show, with Cooper and original series star Will Smith as executive producers.[3][4][5]

Bel-Air
Film poster
Directed byMorgan Cooper
Produced by
  • Johnny Starke
  • Kerry Rounds
  • Morgan Cooper
  • Corey McCartney
Written byMorgan Cooper
Based on
Starring
  • Jerry Madison
  • Sherri Roulette-Mosley
  • Granvile O’Neal
  • Kira Ashby
  • Jelani Talib
  • Rufus Burns
  • Sada K.
  • Khrystal Coppage
  • Jada Paige
Music by
  • B. Jones
  • Mark Francis
  • Duncan Burnett
  • Easy Mccoy
CinematographyMorgan Cooper
Edited by
  • Morgan Cooper
  • Anthony Devera
Production
company
Sun Squared Media
Distributed bySun Squared Media
Release date
  • March 10, 2019 (2019-03-10)
Running time
4 minutes
LanguageEnglish

In August 2020, it was announced that Will Smith and Morgan Cooper would be developing a reboot of the series based on Cooper's Bel-Air. The series had reportedly been in the works for over a year since Cooper posted his Bel-Air trailer on YouTube, with Netflix, NBC's Peacock, and HBO Max all currently bidding for the series.[6] On September 8, 2020, it was picked up by Peacock who gave Bel-Air a 2-season order.[7]

Plot

After being involved in a gang fight during a street basketball game, Will Smith is sent by his mother out of the rough streets of Philadelphia to live with his uncle and aunt in the affluent neighborhood of Bel Air, Los Angeles, in the hopes of straightening out his life.

The film is supposed to take place in 2019. The trailer is heavily influenced by modern-day popular culture, according to Cooper in an interview.

Cast

NOTE: The characters Geoffrey Butler and Nicky Banks (portrayed by Joseph Marcell and Ross Bagley in the original series) do not appear in the film.

Production

Morgan Cooper shot the Philadelphia sequences of Bel-Air in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, in a span of six months.[1]

Reception

Will Smith, who played the main character of the original sitcom, heavily praised the fan film, commenting that "Morgan did a ridiculous trailer for Bel-Air. Brilliant idea, the dramatic version of The Fresh Prince for the next generation." He also hinted at options of expanding the idea beyond the short film.[8][9]

References
  1. Greene, Andy (March 13, 2019). "Hilarious 'Bel Air' Trailer Reimagines 'The Fresh Prince' as a Dramatic Movie". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  2. Kirkland, Justin (March 14, 2019). "The Fresh Prince Gets a Dramatic Reimagining in the Trailer for Bel-Air". Esquire. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  3. Nellie Andreeva (August 11, 2020). "Bel-Air: Drama Series Take On The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air From Morgan Cooper & Westbrook Studios Heats Up Streaming Marketplace". Deadline Hollywood.
  4. Jesse Schedeen (August 11, 2020). "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Be Rebooted as a Drama". IGN.
  5. Lesley Goldberg (August 11, 2020). "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Drama Reboot in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. "'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (September 8, 2020). "'Bel-Air': Peacock Gives 2-Season Order To 'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot From Morgan Cooper & Westbrook Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. Smith, Will (April 26, 2019). "How I Really Feel About That BEL-AIR Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  9. Parker, Ryan (April 26, 2019). "Will Smith Calls Dramatic Fan-Made 'Bel-Air' Trailer "Brilliant"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
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