It's like déjà vu.
Will Smith is back in Bel-Air with a re-imagined twist on his beloved 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Welcome to Bel-Air, Peacock's highly anticipated and reimagined drama-series, which is unpacking and moving into the neighborhood in 2022. Newcomer Jabari Banks will star in the leading role for the show already set for two seasons on the streamer and will be narrated by the O.G. Will, Smith himself.
The contemporary series, based on Morgan Cooper's viral 2019 fan film Bel-Air, inspired the classic remake for Peacock. Set in modern-day America, the new show is a serialized one-hour drama that will dive deeper with emotions and discussions on diversity while still delivering the same swagger of the original sitcom.
In a new teaser, Smith reads the theme song from the original culturally-defining show that told the story of a streetwise kid from Philadelphia who is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their California mansion.
Will's life is flipped upside down as he lands in a pool of water in the dream-like clip. Treading in water, he holds his breath and floats in a sea of objects that reflect his past blending with his future. Banks --wearing Jordan sneakers just like the superstar Smith did in the past-- pushes himself forward in the water and floats past objects that resemble dice. They look just like the kind that hung in the cab his predecessor so famously rapped about in the opening credits of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Then out of the deep abyss appears a gold crown that drifts by him in the water.
"I looked at my kingdom," says Smith. "I was finally there." Banks then defies gravity and forces his body to sit in a throne meant for a prince. The crown floats down on top of his head and Banks has arrived in a defining moment.
"At its heart, Bel-Air is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the strength and love of the Black family," executive producers, T.J. Brady and Rasheed Newson said in a joint press statement. "It's been incredible to bring these iconic characters to life when you tap them into the cultural pulse of our time. The series was the fabric of so many of our upbringings, tied to memories and the joy of seeing ourselves represented on TV so it is important to us to pay respect to its legacy."
Bel-Air will premiere on Peacock in 2022. (E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)