Fresh Prince cast reuniting with Will Smith for HBO Max special
The cast of Friends are still keeping fans waiting for that reunion… but the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air stars have you sorted!
US streaming service HBO Max is swapping one telly reunion for another, lining up Will Smith and his former Fresh Prince co-stars for an all-new special looking back on the show (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Filming will take place on September 10, with HBO Max set to premiere the reunion special around Thanksgiving in the US to coincide with being the exclusive streaming home for Fresh Prince stateside.
Smith will be joined by Banks family members Tatyana Ali (Ashley), Daphne Maxwell Reid (Aunt Viv #2), Karyn Parsons (Hilary) and Strictly guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton) as well Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey the Butler) and DJ Jazzy Jeff. The late James Avery (Uncle Phil) died in 2013.
HBO is planning a mix of nostalgia, music and surprise guests as the cast reflect on some of the most memorable scenes from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s six seasons.
The streaming service is reportedly also among the bidders for a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot being pitched as a dramatic retelling of the rags to riches story.
Smith is producing the pitch based on a short film released on filmmaker Morgan Cooper’s YouTube channel, described as a deeper dive “into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases of what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still delivering the swagger and fun nods to the original show”.
Joining Smith in overseeing this new version of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will be original series producers Quincy Jones and Benny Medina, as well as creators Andy and Susan Borowitz.
Smith most recently reunited with former Fresh Prince co-star Tyra Banks earlier this year to recreate one of their favourite scenes nearly 30 years later.
