After 30 years, it’s high time for a family reunion.
Actor Will Smith announced today that the Banks family will come together for “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion,” premiering Nov. 19 on HBO Max.
“These are the people who made me the man I am today,” Smith said in an Instagram post. “And I couldn’t let this day go by without marking the occasion.”
A trailer for the reunion special also dropped today.
The on-set reunion will show Smith joined by series regulars Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid and Alfonso Ribeiro, along with recurring co-star DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Smith also reunited for conversation and reminiscing with Janet Huber, who originated the role of Aunt Viv.
The trailer shows cast members having an emotional moment as they remember the late James Avery, who played family patriarch Uncle Phil.
Taped Sept. 10, the 30th anniversary of the original series premiere date, the special will explore the cultural impact the series has had since its debut.
Running at a time sometimes called the golden era of Black television programming, “Fresh Prince” helped shape how Black characters were portrayed on television and film by pushing back on cultural perceptions and prejudices.
Smith previously announced that the sitcom is being “flipped, turned upside down,” thanks to a viral video by filmmaker Morgan Cooper that transformed the comedy into a drama. Smith said NBCUniversal’s Peacock has picked up two seasons of a drama series called “Bel-Air.”
The reunion special is produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Media.
WarnerMedia’s HBO Max is the exclusive U.S. subscription VOD home of the original series’ six seasons, which became available on the platform when it launched in May.
