Will Smith Developing 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Spinoff Series

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Will Smith’s entertainment company Westbrook Inc. is developing a spinoff of the popular ’90s sitcom series.

Smith launched Westbrook Inc. in July. The cross-platform company, which he runs with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, is “designed to expand the Smith family brand beyond film and TV into new media, technology, and even merchandising.”

In 2015, it was reported that Smith was shopping a remake of the classic ’90s sitcom for modern times.

The original “Fresh Prince” ran for six seasons on NBC from 1990-1996. The show was co-created by Quincy Jones and starred Smith alongside Janet Louise Hubert, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, and the late James Avery. As THR points out, Smith still earns “hefty royalties” from the series, which is licensed to air in 193 territories.

During a 2018 interview, Smith reflected on the show’s impact. “I had no idea that ‘Fresh Prince’ would have that kind of impact,” he told TIDAL’s Rap Radar podcast. “When I look back on it, I can see. It was like, ‘Duh.’ The intracultural racism between the rich blacks and poor blacks and the idea of being uprooted and put into the full mainstream white world, I can see where those ideas would make for a rich show.”