There has always been a silent yet vocal argument amongst fans upon who played the role of Aunt Viv the best on the hit 90’s television series The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. Especially since there has never been a reason forwarded publicly as to why the original aunt Viv played by Janet Hubert was ever recasted anyway. Since we are currently knees deep in the era of reboots and spin offs we have to ask ; would you guys be cool with a remake of the Fresh Prince but with a slightly dramatic or should we say thematic twist?
According to #ShadowAct ; Bobby Huntley and Colbie Fray came up with the ultimate idea after meeting at Sundance festival. Sources have stated that the two were heavily inspired by #JordanPeele’s This is Us film and decided to work together to execute ta one of a kind idea.
” Auntie “ , serves as a surreal thriller that provides an inside look at the original cast members of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air verses a hypothetical recasted version of themselves.
The film synopsis reads : After a long, excruciating stint at a mental facility, Vivian Banks is released. Against strict orders from her psychiatrist, she makes her way back to Bel Air. Only to find her home and family has no recollection of her and every evidence of her existence has been erased. She must find out who was behind the hostile takeover before it is too late to reclaim her family and her home.
“We left Sundance knowing we wanted to work together on something within the near future. A month or so later, I called her late one night and pitched her this idea and without hesitation, she came on board. I really wanted a Black woman to take on the director hat of this project, telling this story of a strong character played by two amazing actresses on a tv show we all grew up watching,” states Huntley. The film was created and discussed between the two and Fray’s creative partner Olamma Oprah.
It has been stated that they’ve also used story lines from other popular television series to add a dramatic yet relatable effect. Within the show Family Matters they recasted both Judy and Harriet Winslow; and as for My wife and kids they played on the switching of the original Claire Kyle.
“Our goal isn’t to pit the two real-life actresses against each,” Huntley says”They both did an amazing job bringing that character to life in their own unique way. We love every actor and actress affiliated with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s just human nature to contrast and compare. For people to still debate over 25 years later is really a testament to their talents and longevity. We are just simply asking the question, ‘What If?'”