beautiful air It’s a one-hour drama series by Peacock that reintroduces the beloved sitcom of the 90s. The new prince of Belle Nation A dramatic modern take on Will’s challenging journey from the streets of West Philly to the closed Beller Building.
Moderator Matt Grobar joined Deadline’s Contenders TV to discuss the 10-episode drama series at the Paramount Theater with creator Morgan Cooper; Assistant Rashid Newson; Will will play Jabar Banks; and actress Cassandra Freeman, who plays Aunt Vivi.
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The series was not taken in the typical way. Instead of settling down or recharging in sunny Hollywood offices, Cooper created a viral trailer that was posted on YouTube that caught some people’s attention and found it with the sitcom’s original star Will Smith.
“We are on our way to Highway 71 and this vision convinced me that I had imagined it from the start. The new prince of Belle Nation “It was a modern drama and I knew it was a special idea,” Cooper recalled. “I invested my money in a short film, which I made under the title beautiful air (See it below), it appeared on YouTube in March 2019 and within one day Westbrook contacted me and the next day I was in Calabasas facing Will. He said, “What do you want to do?” And I gave him my idea that this is a one hour drama. A few years later, we are here. “
The creators of the show found a great balance in adapting the classic sitcom: respecting and sticking to the source material, while also creating a new legacy with their own creative vision.
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“Luckily, we have a trailer of Morgan and we had a filming history of the show,” Newson said. “Everyone had the same point of reference and every fan was his fan. [original] The new prince of Belle Nation. We were all very careful with this material, but we knew we had to do something new. We knew we had to make bold changes because it couldn’t be compared to what they did 30 years ago. You won’t, you won’t do it better than them. We should take it as inspiration, but go in a new direction. I think it was expressed in every department and it was kind of a statement of our mission. “
Whatever the direction of the adaptation, the show was supposed to feature an actor who possessed the same gravity and burst of character that Smith had in the 1990-96 original. The series found out with rookie Banks, who explained that it was in keeping with the script.
“I read the script and thought, ‘Oh, that’s something to say,'” Banks said. “Initially, the listening scene was a scene between me and Carlton. [Olly Sholotan], where his friend was saying the word N. He knew he was special. “So I was thrilled to be a part of it.”
Banks added that he also landed in Los Angeles following a similar case of Will’s descent from Philadelphia, which added to his connection with the character he plays.
“When I finished school, I was browsing Phil’s sofa and trying to figure everything out,” he explained. “I knew that if I was going to come to Los Angeles, then I had to have a reason to be here.”
Cooper talked about the importance and complexity of creating a cult family and how beautiful air I had such a unique difficulty.
“I don’t know if anyone had a harder task this season because they photographed an entire family where the originals are a favorite,” Newson said. “And bring something new that was incredibly close. I think we understand exactly. “
Freeman, who plays the new Aunt Vivi, expressed the importance of adaptation and how important it is to reimagine her black family on television.
“We’re trying to show the world that being black is broad,” he said. “Black isn’t just a screensaver [Boulevard]. Black isn’t just from Baltimore. Black is a broad experience. I hope people watch this show and like, “Oh, blacks are like that. That’s how African Americans like it. It’s like Caribbean Africa: oh, for a moment, maybe all of us: blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians. Maybe we are all expansive people. For me the show is just a family, the microcosm of the American family. “
with beautiful air Confirmed at Peacock for a second season, Newson had something to say about what to expect next season.
“The mission is the same,” he said. “This program works on two levels. First: this is the story of Will’s age, but it is also the emotional evolution of the Black family. So this is a kind of guide for us on these two fronts ”.
all episodes air hoodthe first season Available for streaming on Peacock.
Watch the panel video above.
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Source: Deadline
