The star of the upcoming Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot Bel-Air, Jabari Banks, has opened up about the dynamic between his character Will, and his on-screen cousin, Carlton. The simply titled reboot adopts a grittier and more realistic approach to the original sitcom with a new setting in modern day America. It sees the main character Will, originally played by Will Smith and now portrayed by Banks, shipped off to live with his uncle in the swanky community of Bel-Air, Los Angeles after getting in some trouble in his native Philadelphia.
The initial idea for the Fresh Prince reboot came from a Youtube video uploaded by Morgan Cooper in 2019, in which the classic 90's sitcom was reimagined as a drama. The video, which quickly went viral, attracted the attention of original Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Smith. Smith praised the video and publicly expressed interest in developing it into a fully-fledged reboot. After a year of development, the show was officially announced, with Peacock winning a bidding war for the rights. Bel-Air will bring back all of the original main characters in Will's family from the original series, including his Uncle Phillip and Aunt Vivian, the family's butler Geoffrey, and his cousins Hilary, Ashley and, of course, Carlton.
In an interview with THR, Banks described how the new adaptation would see an increased focus on how Will and Carlton grow as cousins, and eventually brothers, in Bel-Air. He mentioned how some of his favorite episodes of the original show were when the two characters got into hijinks together, and how he was excited to be able to do show this fun dynamic to a new audience. Banks also described how his strong off-screen relationship with co-star Olly Sholotan, who portrays Carlton in Bel-Air, allowed their chemistry to flourish. Read Banks' full quote below:
"He’s an amazing scene partner, but Olly is my brother, first and foremost. When I got to L.A., I literally had no clue where I was going, and I had to find a place to live. He was like, “I’ll just drive you around L.A., I’ll take you to every neighborhood, and we’ll see.” That just really showed me who he is as a person. We got to a level of comfortability. We hang out on- and off-set — we’re really good friends. Having that level of comfort just opens up the space for all different types of dynamics that we can show onscreen. It’s definitely a safe place for us to play, and we’re both very playful. We want to see how far we can take this Will and Carlton dynamic. In the first episode, it’s something, and in the last, something completely different. So it’s super exciting for everyone to see them grow as cousins and as brothers; for them to get into like their Will and Carlton silly situations and crazy adventures. That’s going to be so exciting for everyone to see and to witness again. I think those are some of my favorite episodes from The Fresh Prince, when Will and Carlton are just getting into sh*tty situations."
With a new dramatic take on the original Fresh Prince series in Bel-Air, the relationship between Will and Carlton is sure to see an increase in its intensity. In the 90's original, one of the main sources of laughs at the beginning of the show's run was the tension between the two cousins, as Carlton's preppy background clashed with Will's working class upbringing and relaxed personality. With the Bel-Air reboot heading in a more dramatic direction, the comedic aspects of this clash are sure to be diminished; perhaps in favor of a more realistic look at the class divide between the cousins, and how that would play out in the contemporary United States. Part of this is sure to include Will's inability to fit in at a Bel-Air private school, where Carlton is a popular figure (as opposed to the original series, in which he was a nerdy outcast). Similarly, it is likely that the on-screen tension between the cousins will play a part in Bel-Air's overall focus on societal issues in modern America.
What remains to be seen is how this new approach will be received when Bel-Air releases later this month. A grittier, darker take on the the show's original story is a welcome departure from the all-to-familiar formula of rebooting a classic sitcom, which often fails to impress audiences. By changing the genre, Bel-Air is not only adding an interesting twist to the original show's premise, but also acts as a lens through which the pressing issues of the day can be examined. As such, the show's reimagined relationship between Will and Carlton could prove to be not only entertaining, but also incredibly thought-provoking.
Source: THR