The dramatic reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, developed from the viral fan trailer released a few years ago, has had a change in development at Peacock.
According to TVLine, Bel-Air will debut in 2022 instead of earlier as was previously expected. The show will have different showrunners than previously announced. Rasheed Newson and T.J. Brady are now helming the series in place of Chris Collins. Diane Houston, who recently helmed Empire and was brought onto Bel-Air to replace Collins, has also left the series. The Hollywood Reporter adds that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman, who was also brought on with Houston, remains with the series as an executive producer.
Morgan Cooper, who wrote and directed the viral trailer, remains on board as a writer, director and co-executive producer.
The change-up in showrunners comes from Peacock and Collins having a difference of opinion as to how the show should look and play out as it goes in “a slightly different creative direction.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peacock wanted “a broad-skewing network-style show, while Collins wanted to deliver an edgy, premium, series.”
Newson and Brady’s body of work seems like it has prepared them for a dramatic, buzzy series. According to TVLine, the two previously worked on The Chi, among others.
Bel-Air is one of the rare exceptions in which a reboot that reimagines the original series is highly anticipated instead of feared or reviled. According to Peacock, the series will be a one-hour serialized drama that takes the original premise of a boy coming to LA from Philadelphia to live with his aunt and uncle and dives deeper into the issues facing each of the characters.
“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,w hile still delivering swagger and nods to the original show,” wrote Peacock.
As Shadow And Act previously reported, the series has already been greenlit for two seasons.