In case you haven’t noticed, there is a huge trend among movie fans everywhere — the fan-made trailer. In fact, look at this fan-made trailer below. It became a viral sensation last year. Re-imagining the classic Will Smith-led sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air got everyone’s attention. Even the attention of Will Smith, himself.
This is Morgan Cooper’s Bel-Air:
Looks promising, right? Well, now Morgan Cooper’s fan-made trailer about the realistic and dramatic version of Will Smith’s sitcom has been given the opportunity to come to life. See that in this interview with Smith and Cooper as they discuss the idea to make Bel-Air.
It’s been confirmed the show is being developed and shopped to various streaming services. Talk about a dream come true! And it only took 30 years to reimagine this to reality.
No Better Time Than Now
From the Bel-Air concept, Will Smith’s story will be focused on the harsh reality of being “West Philadelphia, born and raised.” Compared to the classic sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, this will be a fresh new story.
According to EW, Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Universal Television is shopping the concept of Bel-Air to the major streamers (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime) with Morgan Cooper in-tow. The frontrunner to land this dramatic retelling of Will Smith’s story would be HBO Max, where the entire sitcom can be seen exclusively.
Smith will serve as an executive producer alongside Fresh Prince creators Andy and Susan Borowitz and producers Quincy Jones and Benny Medina. Cooper is set to be an EP, writer, and director, while Sons of Anarchy vet Chris Collins will be the showrunner.
EW, August 2020
Hope for The Dreamers
Source: YouTube/Will Smith
Morgan Cooper’s Bel-Air concept had it all, from the police on a basketball court to the culture shock of a young black male being dropped into an upper-class neighborhood. The retelling of this story has many relevant opportunities for what a drama series of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air could provide in 2020.
Once the series is made and brought to streaming television, we will see a more dramatic and darker appeal. That is, compared to the original lighthearted show, which was more comedic in nature. Although it may not be what audiences are used to seeing from Will Smith, as it relates to this story, that could set the foundation for a meaningful series about Bel-Air.
For all of the upcoming filmmakers, writers, and directors out there: Take note and rejoice. @CooperFilms_ has proven if you have the talent, it will make room for you! @WillSmith proved that much.
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Morgan Cooper went from a four-minute clip on YouTube to writing and directing a series reboot backed by most of the original producers. With Will Smith signed on as Executive Producer, it’s only a matter of time until they can strike a deal with a potential buyer.
Regardless of the streamer, this show has a fan base built-in and is already producing a lot of buzz. Much like Disney’s monumental decision to bring Mulan to audiences at home, this show could determine a lot about the entertainment industry’s future in finding and developing talent.
So to all the dreamers, writers, directors, actors, and content creators out there: I say, keep striving, keep dreaming, and keep creating!
You just never know when your life can be flipped upside-down.
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