Will Smith shares first photos from the ‘Fresh Prince’ reunion

Now this is a story all about how Will Smith brought the cast of the beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air back together… 30 years after the series originally debuted. As previously promised, Smith reunited his co-stars for a heartfelt chat, but because he’s a true Prince at heart he also shared some photos with fans.“Today is exactly 30 YEARS since The @FreshPrince of Bel-Air debuted!” the 51-year old (feeling old yet?), wrote on Instagram. “So we’re doin’ something for y’all… a for real Banks Family Reunion is comin’ soon to @HBOmax!” Smith also gave a shout-out to his late TV father James Avery, who died in 2014 at the age of 68. “RIP James,” he wrote. “#FreshPrince30th.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Today is exactly 30 YEARS since The @FreshPrince of Bel-Air debuted! So we’re doin’ something for y’all… a for real Banks Family Reunion is comin’ soon to @HBOmax! RIP James. #FreshPrince30th

A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith) on Sep 10, 2020 at 4:30pm PDT

In the first photo Smith is joined on the show’s famous living room set by Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton), Tatyana Ali (Ashley), Karyn Parsons (Hilary), Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey), Daphne Maxwell Reid (Aunt Viv) and of course, DJ Jazzy Jeff, who hopefully won’t be tossed from the front door for inappropriate comments this time around.The second photo tells an every bigger story, as it features Smith and Janet Hubert sitting down for a chat. Hubert originally played Aunt Viv from 1990-1993 before she was replaced by Maxwell Reid. In the past she has spoken out at length about her ill-will towards Smith, whom she blamed for having her fired. ““There will never be a reunion,” she told TMZ in 2011 when the rest of the cast reunited at a charity event. “I will never do anything with an a–hole like Will Smith. This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology, which he doesn’t know the word.”Well, fast forward to today and it’s unclear whether Smith apologized to Hubert or if Hubert has come around, but according to an official release from HBO Max, Smith even surprised the rest of the cast when he revealed that he and Hubert had sat down for the first time in 27 years to have “an emotional reunion and a candid conversation.” Naturally that and the rest of the reunion will air on the streaming service, probably around the U.S. Thanksgiving.HBO Max previously confirmed the reunion, saying that it will be a funny and heartfelt night of music, dancing, and more special surprise guests. During its original run The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air lasted six seasons and 148 episodes, and gave the world a theme song that almost anyone who grew up in the 1990s can still rap today. Meanwhile, the cast also reunited virtually earlier this year during lockdown, when Smith welcomed his co-stars for a little Zoom chat to talk about all of their favourite moments from the series and to pay tribute to Avery.The photos and this latest reunion come on the heels of the recent announcement that Peacock (the U.S. streaming service, which is not available in Canada) has picked up a two-season commitment of the dramatic Fresh Prince reimagining. That series is based on a viral YouTube fan film that reimagined certain scenes from the original show into a drama. The creator, Morgan Cooper, will direct and co-executive produce the new series, while Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith produce under their Westbrook Studios production company.Your move, Friends reunion. Your move.[video_embed id='2032482']Before you go: 'Fresh Prince' turns 30 so we're taking a look back, and to the future[/video_embed]