Peacock Developing 'Hilary,' a 'Bel-Air' Spinoff Headlined by Coco Jones with Tracy Oliver Writing
Peacock is developing Hilary, a spinoff of its drama Bel-Air that would put Coco Jones front and centre as the title character, Deadline reported on 25 August 2026.
The project is in development, meaning the streaming service has not yet committed to a full series order. Jones would reprise her role as Hilary Banks, the eldest Banks sibling she played across Bel-Air's four-season run, which wrapped in December 2025. The show became Peacock's first breakout hit when it launched on 13 February 2022 — a dramatic reimagining of the 1990s Will Smith sitcom, itself based on Morgan Cooper's short fan film.
Tracy Oliver is writing Hilary. Oliver made history in 2017 as the first Black woman to write a film that grossed more than $100 million, with Girls Trip. She also created and executive produced the series Harlem and First Wives Club, and her feature credits include Little, The Sun Is Also a Star and The Blackening. Her slate currently in the works spans Girls Trip 2, The Blackening 2, the Netflix romantic comedy The Wedding Date, the holiday film Deck the Y'alls with Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain, and thriller series Paper Gods at Netflix and Not a Happy Family at Starz.
The spinoff's premise sends Hilary to New York after she accepts an unexpected job offer from celebrity chef Yvonne Durand, impulsively relocating to prove herself beyond her Bel-Air connections. That direction breaks from the Bel-Air series finale, in which Hilary moved back to Los Angeles from Costa Rica to launch her own cafe. It instead echoes the finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the original 1990s sitcom, where Hilary also moved to New York.
Hilary is produced by Will Smith's Westbrook Studios and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. The executive producer roster is long: Jones and Oliver are joined by Smith, Terence Carter, David Boorstein, Miguel Melendez, Benny Medina, Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz, Morgan Cooper, the Jeff Pollack trust and the Quincy Jones estate.
For Jones, the role of Hilary Banks has been a career catalyst. Her visibility on Bel-Air contributed to breakthroughs across acting and music, according to the Miami Times in December 2025. She released her debut album Why Not More?, which earned a nomination for Best R&B Album at the 2026 Grammys. Her film work includes Netflix's Vampires vs. the Bronx and Malcolm D. Lee's psychological thriller Strung, with the romantic comedy That's Her completed and awaiting release.
The spinoff announcement comes roughly eight months after Bel-Air concluded. No premiere date, episode count or additional casting has been confirmed. Peacock has not said whether other Bel-Air characters might appear.
What stands out is the creative lineage. Oliver's track record in comedy — from Girls Trip to Harlem — paired with a character who already had her own arc on Bel-Air gives the project a clear foundation. And pulling Hilary's New York move from the original sitcom's finale rather than the reboot's gives the spinoff a bridge between both versions of the Banks family story.
