talk all that shyt until them $$$$ in front of you dangling.
4 crew members who were promised a role in NBC's 'Bel-Air' speak out: 'I left my son for a year for nothing'
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Sounds like dude started out with the best of intentions but once he got into the “business” of it he didn’t have any leverage.
Looking at it from a realistic point of view, what Morgan Cooper actually accomplished was the equivalent of a miracle. Fan trailers almost NEVER go anywhere no matter how viral they go. Morgan really struck oil that his idea to dramatize an already established IP was such a stroke of genius AND the execution of it was so stellar that it moved the needle to actually become a full on reboot.
The downside is that its not MORGAN COOPER’s IP. He doesn’t own any of it. The fact that Will and the producers actually brought him on board was a testament to how much they loved his vision, otherwise they really could have copy/pasted the idea and suffered no consequences because NBC owns the rights to The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. So there was next to NO WAY that they were going to bring on any actors or producers onto the reboot other than Morgan himself. And if you look at the credits of the series, Morgan Cooper only has writing credits on two episodes, and directed the pilot. He has almost no involvement in the second season.
Its part of the reason why I feel like up and coming creatives should focus more on their own original IP. If your shyt takes off, you have more leverage than if you updated, reimagined, rebooted something else.
Also make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing. There’s no reason whatsoever why those actors and producers should have been moving out to LA on a “promise” they’d be part of anything with no contracts signed. Thats just asking to get fukked over.
Looking at it from a realistic point of view, what Morgan Cooper actually accomplished was the equivalent of a miracle. Fan trailers almost NEVER go anywhere no matter how viral they go. Morgan really struck oil that his idea to dramatize an already established IP was such a stroke of genius AND the execution of it was so stellar that it moved the needle to actually become a full on reboot.
The downside is that its not MORGAN COOPER’s IP. He doesn’t own any of it. The fact that Will and the producers actually brought him on board was a testament to how much they loved his vision, otherwise they really could have copy/pasted the idea and suffered no consequences because NBC owns the rights to The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. So there was next to NO WAY that they were going to bring on any actors or producers onto the reboot other than Morgan himself. And if you look at the credits of the series, Morgan Cooper only has writing credits on two episodes, and directed the pilot. He has almost no involvement in the second season.
Its part of the reason why I feel like up and coming creatives should focus more on their own original IP. If your shyt takes off, you have more leverage than if you updated, reimagined, rebooted something else.
Also make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing. There’s no reason whatsoever why those actors and producers should have been moving out to LA on a “promise” they’d be part of anything with no contracts signed. Thats just asking to get fukked over.
Dreamchaser
All Star
Facts, this was a miracle. It was a low risk high reward for NBC. Basically, they had a new streaming service and needed content ASAP. Morgan Cooper is getting credited because Will Smith vouched for him. They could have easily pushed him out. Plus, he wasn't selling a script or spec script. All he had was a trailer. But props to him on making to Hollywood, that's no easy feat for a black man.
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MajesticLion
Veteran
Never overlook the legal side. 
I doubt very seriously dude had the clout to bring on his own people. But he shouldn't have lured then into working on a separate project under the guise they'd eventually be working on Bel-Air. He himself barely has anything to do with Bel-Air.