Dark new edition of the "Prince of Bel-Air" series planned

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Will Smith in Paris in January: I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air

In the early 1990s Will Smith started his career as a Hollywood star with the comedy series "The Prince of Bel-Air". Now the TV series will be reissued with Smith as executive producer. This is reported by US industry journals such as "Variety" and "Hollywood Reporter". The project is currently offered to streaming services such as Netflix and HBO Max.

In the original sitcom (1990-1996), the then young rapper demonstrated his great comedic talent. He later became one of Hollywood's biggest stars with roles in "Independence Day" and "Men in Black".

Darker than the original

The series at the time tells the story of a young African American from poor backgrounds in Philadelphia who moves to live with rich relatives in Bel Air, California. In the new edition, according to the reports, the story of the protagonist will be told. And it should be darker than in the original. The plot revolves around his fight with gang members.

The idea for the new version was developed by director Morgan Cooper, who also shot a trailer for the new series. Two versions of the trailer have already been clicked on more than seven million times on the Internet - including by Will Smith, who was enthusiastic about Cooper's "brilliant" idea. Cooper is now reportedly to co-write and direct the script for the new edition. At first nothing was known about a possible start of shooting and the cast.

ala / dpa / AFP