• Will Smith to bring back the'Fresh Prince'

Will Smith to bring back the'Fresh Prince' (Photo : REUTERS/KIYOSHI OTA)

Actor Will Smith is working on a 21st century remake of the popular American sitcom  "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" which he starred in during the 1990s.

According to TV Line  Smith's production company Overbrook Entertainment is in the initial stages of developing  a comedy series that plans to put a new twist on the original storyline of a out-of-place teen who comes to live with wealthy relatives in Bel Air.

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The family comedy which aired from 1990 to 1996 saw Smith play a fictitious version of himself  as a street-smart West Philadelphian teenager who moves in with his uncle and aunt and their children - Hilary, Carlton and Ashley in their Bel-Air mansion.

The series entwined in the humour of his laidback lifestyle which often clashed with those of his high profile relatives in Bel Air. The show lasted for six seasons and in total aired 148 episodes. The rapper is also responsible for writing the hugely popular theme song of the show with Quincy Jones.

While a pitch is still being finalized according to the Guardian the "Focus" star is said to get on board as an executive producer for the series together with his Overbrook partners Caleeb Pinkett, James Lassiter and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The sitcom credited with launching Smith's career as an actor propelled him on to star in other big box office hits such as "Men In Black" and the popular action film franchise "Bad Boys."

The rapper is not the only actor on the show to have enjoyed future success, actress Tatyana Ali who plays  Ashley entered the music industry before studying a course at Harvard University in African-American studies.

Actor Alfonso Ribeiro who plays Carlton won in season 19 of the  American version of "Dancing With The Stars" while actor Joseph Marcell who plays the role of the buttler on the show went on to play King Lear during a Shakespeare's Globe Tour in 2013.