The rather exciting news was posted on social media which truly shocked their fans in the best way possible.
Will posted a couple of photos on Instagram revealing his reunion with the cast in the original set of The Banks mansion as well his private reunion with the first and original ‘Aunt Viv’ [Janet Hubert]. “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”, he captioned his post with the Bel Air cast. In the caption, Will respects late James Avery who passed away in 2013 who played a significant role in Fresh Prince as the beloved ‘Uncle Phil’.
While it may not be known to new viewers, the character Aunt Viv was originally played by Janet Hubert. However, due to her pregnancy which was an “apparent violation of contract”, Janet got fired at the end of Season 3. It was also observed how Will Smith himself had a feud going on with Janet at the time. The show continued to air with Daphne Maxwell Reid who played Aunt Viv from seasons 4-6. But currently as things seem to be looking up, it looks as though Will and Janet have resolved the tension between them.
Fans are nostalgic and reminiscent of the time they used to binge watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air and are thrilled for the iconic comeback! Many expressed their excitement in the comment section under Will Smith’s post. According to Variety, the HBO Max Special is expected to air sometime around Thanksgiving!