Will Smith Unveils Star of Upcoming ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Reboot

Will Smith is set to executive produce the relaunch of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which has already been picked up for two seasons on Peacock.

Morgan Cooper’s reboot of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has landed its lead. And the actor comes approved by the former star of the hit ’90s sitcom.

Today, Will Smith unveiled a fellow West Philadelphian is set to lace up a pair of grape Jordan 5s for the incoming relaunch of Fresh Prince. In a video posted on Tuesday morning, Smith officially passed the baton to 19-year-old Jabari Banks, who joined him for a short call to announce his casting as the star of the series. While Cooper’s reimagined version of the show promises to bring a more serious tone to the original story, the reveal of Banks taking on the starring role was far less dramatic than it could have been with Smith and Banks exchanging pleasantries and gratitudes for each other’s involvement in the serialized adaptation of Cooper’s viral spec trailer.

While plot specifics are still few and far between, a summary from the studio promises a contemporary spin on a classic network show. “Set in modern-day America, Bel-Air is a serialized 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,” reads an official synopsis for the series. Though he won’t make any appearances on screen, Smith is set to serves as executive producer on Bel-Air alongside Quincy Jones, who took on the seat in the show’s original run.

A premiere date for the series has yet to be announced. But Peacock has already picked the show up for two seasons. And now that a lead has been locked in, the rest of the cast should follow in short order.

Watch Will Smith and Jabari Banks discuss the highly-anticipated dramatization of Fresh Prince below. Hold tight for updates on the series in the weeks and months ahead.