Peacock Announces Main Cast For Bel-Air Drama Series
Peacock has announced the full main cast for its highly anticipated drama series Bel-Air, a contemporary reimagining of the beloved and culture defining 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The series regulars include:
Newcomer Jabari Banks as “Will”
Adrian Holmes as “Phillip Banks” (At That Age, V Wars) Cassandra Freeman as “Vivian Banks” (The Enemy Within, Atlanta)
Olly Sholotan as “Carlton Banks” (Run Hide Fight, Evolution of Nate Gibson)
Coco Jones as “Hilary Banks” (Let it Shine, Vampires vs. The Bronx)
Akira Akbar as “Ashley Banks” (We Can Be Heroes, Captain Marvel)
Jimmy Akingbola as “Geoffrey” (Most Dangerous Game, In The Long Run)
Jordan L. Jones as “Jazz” (Rel, Snowfall)
Simone Joy Jones as “Lisa” (The Chair, What If)
Will Smith previously surprised newcomer and West Philly local Jabari Banks with the iconic, leading role of “Will,” originated by Smith
The series stems from Morgan Cooper’s lauded fan film BEL- AIR. Cooper will direct, co-write and serve as co-executive producer alongside writer, showrunner and executive producer Chris Collins (The Man in the High Castle, The Wire). Westbrook Studios and Universal Television will serve as the studios on the project.
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.
Cooper wrote and directed the four-minute spec trailer, debuting the video on social media in March 2019. The trailer, which currently has over 6 million views on YouTube caught the attention of Smith, and in a reaction video he called the film and idea brilliant. Here is a link to the original trailer: