Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spin-off reportedly in development
In a new feature story over at the Hollywood Reporter, it is noted that Will Smith, through his Westbrook Inc. cross-platform company, is currently developing a show connected to the iconic spin-off. The precise details of what this spin-off could be are still under wraps, but there is obviously going to be some intrigue around the idea. It’s hard for there not to be — this one of the biggest comedy series of its time, and Smith still earns substantial syndication royalties from the project.
As a matter of fact, this spin-off is still so early that it doesn’t have a network attached, let alone a main character. It’s hard to believe that he would have a significant onscreen presence, though he could turn up occasionally and serve as an executive producer behind the scenes. Just think about this spin-off as a possible financial investment in the future for Smith. This is a guy who has managed to find big successes in a lot of various venues, even without always having big box-office hits. He understands what makes money, and his presence is a pretty big one. For this spin-off to work, he would have to be involved somehow.
Yet, in general we do remain concerned that this is one of those series that does function best as a product of its era. It’s going to be very hard in order to ensure that Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would be a hit in a different form, especially since Smith’s ability as a performer was a big part of the reason for its success. You would have to find a lead with an equal amount of talent across multiple different types of performance, but also someone who wasn’t just a carbon copy of what will Smith did. That’s a tall order and a hard thing for any performer to ultimately achieve.
For now, let’s not assume anything — this show may never surface. Nonetheless, it’s at least worth storing away somewhere in your brain.
Do you want to see a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spin-off in the future?
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