Will Smith Surprises 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Reboot Star Jabari Banks, Personally Tells Young Actor He Landed Iconic Sitcom Role: Watch
The upcoming Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot has found it's shining new star!
Will Smith gave Jabari Banks the surprise of his life via video chat, when he revealed to the up-and-coming actor that he will be playing his iconic role "Will" in Peacock's reimagining of the hit 90's sitcom.
"Set in modern-day America, ‘Bel-Air’ is a serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the ’90s sitcom ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ that leans into the original premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air," an official series description states. "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, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show.”
In the heartwarming video, the 52-year-old actor gave the University of the Arts graduate the exciting news and told him that he "had a fantastic road ahead of him" and that Smith was "looking forward to being an asset" to Banks as he "builds out his life and career."
Both Smith and Banks are West Philadelphia locals. The young actor is multitalented as he's also a singer, songwriter, rapper, and basketball player.
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The rising star will be featured in a dramatic revamped version of the NBC show, primarily based off of producer Morgan Cooper's 2019 dramatic short spec trailer on the classic sitcom.
The highly anticipated reboot with be under the direction of Cooper. He will also serve as a writer and a co-executive producer. T.J. Brady and Resheed Newson will serve as show runners. Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Malcolm Spellman, Quincy Jones, Benny Medina, and Andy and Susan Borowitz will serve as executive producers.
The series is set to film in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
