Bel-Air series is a retelling, not a Fresh Prince reboot – Jimmy Akingbola

Actor Jimmy Akingbola clarified that Peacock’s upcoming television series, Bel-Air, will be a grittier dramatization of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, rather than a reboot of the popular 90’s sitcom. In an interview with THR, the Bel-Air star playing the Banks’ iconic butler, Geoffrey, confirmed that his new show would not be a retelling of the original and that each episode will be around an hour long.

Akingbola said that this freedom allowed the team behind the series to delve deeper into the beloved characters from the classic sitcom, while also putting a unique spin on them. “We have the license from Will to go in a completely different direction, but there are some beautiful nods to the original,” Akingbola said. “But there are a lot of things where we’re going in a completely different direction. Even Geoffrey, he’s very different.”

Akingbola revealed that Bel-Air’s Geoffrey will be a far more serious and no-nonsense character than his colorful counterpart from the original, claiming that the reimagined version has “an edge and a swagger to him.” That is not to say that Geoffrey has been completely stripped of his playfulness, however, as Akingbola confirmed that audiences will get to see his lighter side as the series progresses.

The origins of Bel-Air are unusual — it came about due to a YouTube fan film of the same name, written and directed by Morgan Cooper featuring a mock trailer that depicted the famous sitcom with a gritter and more serious tone. Upon seeing the fan film, the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith, expressed an interest in turning the concept into a full-fledged series. After being in the works for over a year, Bel-Air was officially announced on Aug. 11, 2020, and Peacock ordered two seasons of the show on Sept. 8 later that year.

Much like its predecessor, Bel-Air centers around a young man from the streets of West Philadelphia and how he came to live in a mansion in Bel-Air with his wealthy aunt and uncle.

Bel-Air also features an entirely different cast from the original. Joining Akingbola as Geoffrey are Jabari Banks as Will Smith, Adrian Holmes (19-2) as Phillip Banks, Cassandra Freeman (The Last O.G.) as Vivian Banks, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Coco Jones (Let it Shine) as Hillary Banks and Akira Akbar (Captain Marvel) as Ashley Banks. Jordan L. Jones and Simone Joy Jones will also play Jazz and Lisa, Will’s best friend and love interest respectively.

Bel-Air will begin to stream on Peacock from Feb. 13.