In west Philadelphia, born and raised…you know the words, now get ready for a totally different take. Bel-Air is a new reimagining of the iconic The Fresh Prince and it’s taking the internet by storm. If you loved the original sitcom, you’ve gotta watch how director and cinematographer Morgan Cooper turned the family comedy into a serious indie drama. Look beyond the Carlton dance and Will Smith’s classic one-liners and the story of The Fresh Prince is a deeply moving one—and Bel-Air taps right into that to create something innovative. Here are some thoughts that Bel-Air inspired amongst the idobi fam:
“GAME CHANGER!!! If anyone is ever going to do another remake, in life, this is exactly how it needs to be done. An original spin on a classic! Don’t just remake the original.” – Monique Younger
“Yeah, maybe we can finally get past the days of spoofing classic TV and instead get into remixing it in ways that keep, I’ll say it, The Fresh Prince fresh. Imagine if the 2005 remake of Bewitched had been more Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (sans the Satan because who needs him). Or if that 2004 mess they called Starsky and Hutch had been more Life On Mars from the BBC. And Baywatch (2017), well we shalt not speak of it… The point is remakes, reboots, and reimaginings don’t have to get bogged down in the repetition of a single hit franchise. Hey, Brady Bunch (1995). That movie hit because it was fresh but the subsequent copies didn’t pass the smell test. So cheers to Morgan Cooper. Can’t wait to see what this one inspires.” – Sherin Nicole
