The Coco Jones “Bel-Air” spinoff is officially in development, with Peacock building a new series called “Hilary.” The series borders around the actress’s breakout character from Bel-Air. Written by Tracy Oliver, the potential series would give Will Smith’s cousin her first leading role as the main title character in a show. The character would relocate from Los Angeles to New York in search of a life built on her own terms. This comes four and a half years after “Bel-Air” became Peacock’s first true hit.
A New York Chapter for Hilary Banks
“Bel-Air” launched on Feb. 13, 2022, and quickly became Peacock’s first breakout success, reimagining the beloved 1990s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” with a more grounded, dramatic tone rooted in Morgan Cooper’s original fan film. The series starred Jabari Banks as Will Smith and Jones as his cousin, Hilary. Four seasons and a wrapped run later, the franchise is finally expanding beyond its flagship series.
In “Hilary,” Jones’ character accepts an unexpected job offer from celebrity chef Yvonne Durand and impulsively relocates to New York, determined to prove she can succeed on her own merits rather than her family’s name. What she finds instead is that success, friendship and love all come at a price she didn’t anticipate.
The setup marks a clear departure from where “Bel-Air” left Hilary. That series ended with the character returning to Los Angeles from Costa Rica to open her own cafe. “Hilary” scraps that trajectory entirely and instead echoes the finale of the original “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which also sent the character to New York, tying the spinoff back to the franchise’s earliest roots even as it charts new territory.
Tracy Oliver Steps Into the Franchise
Per Deadline, Tracy Oliver, known for “Girls Trip,” is writing “Hilary” and stepping into the “Bel-Air” universe for the first time. The project comes from Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, the same combination behind the original series.
Jones and Oliver are executive producing alongside Smith, Terence Carter, David Boorstein and Miguel Melendez of Westbrook, along with Benny Medina, Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz, Morgan Cooper, the Jeff Pollack trust and the Quincy Jones estate. Keeping much of that same team in place suggests Peacock wants continuity behind the scenes even as the story pushes into new territory.
Oliver made history in 2017 when she became the first Black woman to write a film that grossed more than $100 million: “Girls Trip.” Her feature credits since include “Little,” “The Sun Is Also a Star” and “The Blackening,” while her television work includes creating and executive producing “First Wives Club” and “Harlem.”
She currently has a packed slate that includes “The Wedding Date” for Netflix, based on Jasmine Guillory’s novel, along with sequels to “Girls Trip” and “The Blackening,” the holiday film “Deck the Y’alls” starring Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain, and the drama series “Paper Gods” at Netflix and “Not a Happy Family” at Starz. She is represented by CAA, Artists First and Myman Greenspan Fox.
Coco Jones’ Star Continues to Rise
Jones has built a career that stretches back to childhood, first appearing as the season 3 runner-up on Radio Disney’s “The Next Big Thing” in 2010 before landing her breakout role as Roxy in the Disney Channel movie “Let It Shine” in 2012. After years working independently in music, she signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2022, the same year she was cast as Hilary Banks in “Bel-Air.” Her single “ICU” became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best R&B Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, part of five total nominations that year, including Best New Artist.
Beyond “Bel-Air,” Jones has appeared in Netflix’s “Vampires vs. the Bronx” and, most recently, Malcolm D. Lee’s psychological thriller “Strung.” She also has the romantic comedy “That’s Her” already completed and awaiting release. Her debut studio album, “Why Not More?,” released in 2025, earned her a second Best R&B Album nomination at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead single, “Here We Go (Uh Oh),” picked up a Best R&B Song nomination the year before. She is represented by WME, M88 and Ziffren Brittenham.
Outside of work, Jones married basketball player Donovan Mitchell in Greenwich, Connecticut, on Aug. 1, 2026, following a two-year relationship and a 2025 engagement. Should “Hilary” move forward to series, it would mark the first time Jones headlines a show built entirely around her. It would also transform a supporting role that made her a fan favorite into a genuine starring vehicle.
The Coco Jones Bel-Air spinoff is officially in development, with Peacock building a new series called “Hilary” around the actress’s breakout character from Bel-Air. Written by Tracy Oliver, the potential series would give Will Smith’s cousin her first leading role as the main title character. The character would relocate from Los Angeles to New York in search of a life built on her own terms, four and a half years after Bel-Air became Peacock’s first true hit.
