Jabari Banks teases season 3 of ‘Bel-Air’: ‘Every time I read the script, I’m shocked’

The actor tells theGrio exclusively that the hit Peacock series will have an exciting return.

“Bel-Air” is back and better than ever. 

The cast of the hit Peacock drama has returned to set and is currently in production for season three of the series. Lead actor Jabari Banks, who stars as Will, told theGrio exclusively at the NAACP Image Awards that the new season has left him feeling surprised. 

“Honestly, every time I read the script, I’m shocked,” Banks said on the red carpet at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Saturday. “I’m not gonna lie. I’m very, very excited for this season to come out. It takes place during the summer in Bel Air, [California]. We’re high schoolers; [we’re] 17 years old, so you can get into a lot of trouble.” 

He continued, “There’s a lot going on this season that I’m very excited about; a lot of stories opening up with different characters that we haven’t seen, a.k.a Geoffrey. We’ll get a little bit into that, too, so that’ll be fun.”

A reimagining of the classic ‘90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Bel-Air” debuted on Peacock in 2022 to rave reviews. The series, which was created by filmmaker Morgan Cooper, stars Coco Jones as Hilary Banks, Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, Adrian Holmes as Philip Banks, Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, and Jimmy Akingbola as Geoffrey. 

Actress Tatyana Ali, who starred as Ashley Banks in the original series, joined the “Bel-Air” cast in season two as the recurring character Mrs. Hughes. In this iteration, Mrs. Hughes is Ashley’s English professor. Ali said returning to Bel-Air Academy was an “emotional” experience for her after so many years away. 

“I’ve always seen Bel-Air as its own show, not at all a reboot of Fresh Prince,” Ali told E! News in 2023. “It’s its own world; it’s a drama. I loved the way it was written. But when I got to the set, and I was actually on Bel-Air Academy — that set with all the kids walking by in their uniforms — it was crazy. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The emotional, psychological stuff that went on was weird in a really good way.”

Ali expanded on the deep feelings she experienced in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, saying that she “walked back behind one of the walls and [tears] just came down like a flood” after she wrapped filming. 

“It’s just a full-circle moment and what my character was saying to her, it felt very much like I was looking at myself in a way,” the actress said. “You always connect to your character like that anyway and the other actors in that way, it’s always personal on some level, but this was just another thing.”

Season three of “Bel-Air” is expected to be released in 2024, according to Variety.

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