Plans to remake, rework, or otherwise revive The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air have been messy for years. Will Smith, who once said the sitcom would come back “pretty close to when hell freezes over,” also posted support for an animated take on the show around the same time a trademark application was filed for the phrase “Fresh Princess.” As is the case with all things Smith-related, the harder you try to understand, the less you know.
Rather than dwell on official Fresh Prince happenings, it seems like a much better use of everyone’s time to look at what fans are creating—like this fantastic trailer for a darker, grittier version of the show by director and cinematographer Morgan Cooper.
Looking like the CW’s next big hit, Bel-Air leans into the far less funny aspects of Will’s Philadelphia exodus and arrival in the strange new world of Bel-Air. His backstory—when he, y’know, got “in one little fight” with “a couple of guys who were up to no good”—is fully fleshed out here into a bloody brawl and a gun charge. Uncle Phil is a hardass determined to give his troubled nephew discipline, Carlton gets in his face to yell “You’re not welcome, Will” only for his cousin’s voice to break while he tries to explain, “You didn’t do anything to earn this!” DJ Jazzy Jeff is a record collector who is not shown, even once, being whackily tossed out the front door.
In a piece about the trailer from Okayplayer, Cooper says he “always thought there was more to the story…behind the sitcom format,” which he channels not just with the more obvious drama of the trailer’s music, performances, and close-up camera shoots, but also wardrobe choices like Will’s Meek Mill shirts, used to evoke “reminders of the injustice the Philly rapper faced when he was imprisoned for violating his probation.”
Read the full Okayplayer article for more on the project and then, mind aflame with possibilities, start imagining just how horrifying a fully reworked “A Nightmare On My Street” video could be.
Send Great Job, Internet tips to [email protected]
24 Comments
Really needs a scene where he cries out “WHY DOESN’T HE WANT ME????”
Annnnnnnd I’m crying.
Thank you.
You and every other black dude.
I kinda was hoping half way through the trailer Aunt Viv was just played by a different woman and no one said a thing.
In this version, that should be a comic relief moment.
People better be furiously DMing Will Smith about this.
Weird. Now I want to see a pitch for a Homicide: Life on the Street remake, but in the vein of Brooklyn 99.Andrew Braugher can play both Pembleton and Holt.
Don’t how the hell I ended up typing “Andrew” instead of Andre. I wasn’t on my phone, so I can’t blame autocorrect.
“In the vein of Brooklyn 99″. So you want the show to be unfunny, gotcha.
Your move. Hollywood.
*grabby hands*
This is amazing. (and of course they worked in The Carlton for a second)
Would definitely watch this. I watched the video after reading just the headline and was expecting something waaay different (ie one of those dramatic edits or w/e)
We all know what happens when Smith thinks something “isn’t good” or “won’t happen”. The next Suicide Squad will obliterate the box office, the new FPoBA will be an instant hit, all without Smith in it. I wish this dude would catch the fuck on, but nah.
What, no dramatic reenactment of this?!
This needed to be made yesterday.
Paging Donald Glover to produce
…they need to make this a show, like right FUCKING NOW.
I desperately want this (and it helps that the camerawork is 5000% better than the original single camera show)
Jazz not getting knocked out by “the Law” Uncle Phil was a missed opportunity.
What the hell did he mean by “There’s no butler…”??? Where’s Geoffrey?