The story of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince is coming to television in a new show titled 215, about the pair’s rise in Philadelphia as one of rap’s first crossover acts. The title is a nod to Philly’s 215 area code.
The new series comes from Westbrook Studios and The Malar Group, which announced plans to develop the project on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Set in West Philadelphia in the late 1980s, the scripted series follows “a quick-witted teenage rapper, the DJ who is his musical other half, and the friends who help fuel their dream,” according to the official description.
Hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince was made up of rapper Will Smith and DJ Jeff Townes. The two got their start in the 1980s and went on to sell millions of records.
“Westbrook has always been focused on developing stories with strong characters, distinctive worlds and a clear point of view,” said Terence Carter, president of television at the company. “215 is especially meaningful to us because it draws from the rise of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince and celebrates Philadelphia during such a defining era in the city’s late-’80s/early-’90s hip-hop scene.”
The show is the first project under a new agreement between the Malar Group and Westbrook Studios, which was co-founded by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. The partnership combines Westbrook’s development and production capabilities with Malar’s investment platform.
Sayan Navaratnam, CEO of Malar Group, said 215′s central friendship theme helped draw the company to the project.
“At its heart, it’s about two people who believed in each other, overcame extraordinary odds and built something that endured,” Navaratnam said. “215 marks the start of a broader collaboration with Westbrook Studios, and we look forward to this project and the stories still to come.”
The series is in development. Details on the cast and a network or streaming home will be announced later.
Westbrook’s other upcoming projects include Amazon MGM’s Night of the Living Dead, Netflix’s Fast & Loose and Warner Bros.’ I Am Legend 2.
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