NBCYour life is about to get flipped, turned upside down again: Will Smith is developing a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spin-off.
The Men In Black star has had a fantastic career in a stream of blockbusters and brilliant films: The Pursuit of Happyness, Aladdin, Hancock, Concussion. His latest film, Gemini Man, sees him face off against a Fresh Prince-faced version of himself.
The actor and rapper started up a ‘cross-platform holding company’ with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, called Westbrook Studios, which is set to expand the Smith family brand beyond traditional media.
GettyIn an article chronicling Smith’s savvy business ethos, The Hollywood Reporter wrote:
In addition to producing Smith-fronted film projects, Westbrook is developing a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air spinoff series (he still earns hefty royalties from the 1990s NBC sitcom, now licensed to air in 193 territories).
The sitcom, which is loved all around the world, saw Smith enter the acting industry with style, instantly becoming a household name as the scrappy teen who moved in with his posh family. Running for six seasons and 148 episodes, you can catch the show on Netflix.
Smith’s previous comments hinted he wasn’t keen on bringing the show back – he once said it would only happen when ‘hell freezes over’ – but the company’s news suggests he’s had a change of heart.
YouTubeThat, or the prospect is simply too lucrative to ignore – Smith isn’t any regular actor, he’s been frequently praised for his diversified skillset when it comes to Hollywood. For example, he declared a $27 million upfront salary when re-teaming with David Ayer for Netflix’s Bright.
Paramount chief Jim Gianopulos, who worked with Smith on 1996’s Independence Day and now on Gemini Man, told The Hollywood Reporter:
Everything he does, he does brilliantly. He is truly a multihyphenate, multitalented man for all seasons.
For the show’s fans, it’s not unusual for news like this to see them breaking out in Carlton-esque dancing.
DisneyIt’s not the only classic material Smith is dabbling in: next year, he’ll be reprising his role as Mike Lowrey, alongside Martin Lawrence as Marcus Burnett, in Bad Boys For Life.
Their explosive KKK-shooting and drug-stomping antics were last seen 17 years ago in Bad Boys II – but they’ll soon be back, so grab your Tropical Fruit Bubblicious and Skittles.
Gemini Man is in cinemas on October 11. Bad Boys For Life hits cinemas on January 17, 2020.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.