Will Smith Introduces Trailer for ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion’ (VIDEO)
“You’re not ready for this trailer. You couldn’t be ready for this trailer. Happy Thanksgiving,” Will Smith says to introduce the video footage of the upcoming unscripted Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion on HBO Max.
Smith debuted the trailer on Friday, November 13, and announced the special will drop on Thursday, November 19. “These are the people who made me the man I am today,” he wrote alongside it on Instagram.
Watch the video below to see Smith reunited with series regulars Tatyana Ali (Ashley Banks), Karyn Parsons (Hilary Banks), Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey Butler), Daphne Maxwell Reid (Vivian Banks), Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton Banks), and recurring co-star DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jazz) and hear some of the behind-the-scenes tidbits they’ll be discussing in the special. Find out who turned down Fresh Prince “literally 10 times” and see them remembering James Avery (Philip Banks), who passed away in 2013.
Plus, see the moment Smith tells the others about sitting down with Janet Hubert, who was the first to play Aunt Viv, for the first time in 27 years for a candid conversation. “I’m happy for the both of them. We’ll see how it plays out on TV,” Ribeiro told TV Insider in October. “We didn’t get to be part of that. I’m happy for the both of them that they were able to clear the air and get through some really ugly past.”
The reunion was taped on the 30th anniversary of the original series’ premiere on set in the Banks’ home. HBO Max has described it as “a funny and heartfelt night full of music, dancing, and a look at the cultural impact the series has had since its debut 30 years ago.”
Showrunner Rikki Hughes serves as executive producer with Miguel Melendez, Lukas Kaiser, James Lassiter, and Brad Haugen for Westbrook Media. Marcus Raboy directs, and Raphael Saadiq is the executive music producer.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion, Premiere, Thursday, November 19, HBO Max