The Original Aunt Viv Returns in This Creative Parody that Merges 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 'Us,' & 'Get Out'
The fan-made video, soon to be released as a short film, puts a Jordan Peele-inspired spin on The FreshPrince's most controversial choice.
Janet Hubert's departure — and Daphne Maxwell Reid's entrance — from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1993 has sparked decades worth of arguments over one simple question: Who's the best Aunt Viv? Two amateur filmmakers have decided to forgo the either/or question by taking the debate a step further.
Bobby Huntley II and Colbie Fray connected to make Auntie, a creative twist on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that merges elements from Jordan Peele's Get Out and Us. The first trailer for Auntie has just been released. Here is a synopsis of the short film:
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.
READ: Will Smith Is Reportedly Developing a 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Spinoff
Filmmaker Bobby Huntley II's nostalgic take towards film brought him a taste of viral fame back in 2015 when the concept trailer for his planned New Edition biopic reached hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. After meeting director Colbie Fray at Sundance Film Festival this year, they both knew they wanted to collaborate on something.
READ: Director of the Fan-Made 'Fresh Prince' Trailer Confirms Will Smith Has Seen the Video [Exclusive]
Huntley and Theresa Lang — who will play Janet Hubert's Aunt Viv — spoke to The Root's Tonja Renée Stidhum about the short film.
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.
You can follow the project's status on its official Instagram page.