Netflix is taking viewers back to Hillman College with the new trailer for its highly anticipated A Different World, sequel, premiering September 24.
The trailer offers the latest look at a new generation of Hillman students while also welcoming back some familiar faces from the beloved original series. The continuation centers on Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), the daughter of Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), as she enrolls as a freshman at her parents’ alma mater and attempts to forge her own path outside their legacy.
Hardison and Guy will reprise their roles alongside fellow original stars Cree Summer, Dawnn Lewis, and Darryl M. Bell. Debbie Allen, who directed, produced, and starred in the original series, is set to helm the premiere along with two additional episodes.
A Different World was a six-season spinoff of The Cosby Show on NBC. Netflix’s A Different World sequel is created by Felicia Pride of Grey’s Anatomy and Bel-Air. She’ll serve as showrunner and executive producer, according to Deadline. The series previously made a splash when Netflix ordered a pilot for the project, a rare move for the streamer.
The series follows Deborah (Maleah Joi Moon), the youngest daughter of Hillman College’s finest alum, Dwayne and Whitley Gilbert, as she enters her freshman year at her parents’ HBCU alma mater and finds their shadow difficult to escape. She sets out to build her own legacy — while having the time of her life — alongside a whole new generation of Hillman’s best and brightest.
“It is such an honor to be a part of bringing back this iconic show, one that I grew up on and which had a profound impact on my life,” Pride said in a statement. “I am so proud of the work we’re doing to reimagine A Different World for beloved fans and new generations alike.”
Here’s everything we know about the series, including who’s playing Deborah and more.
Quantrell Colbert/Netflix
Quantrell Colbert/Netflix
When does A Different World premiere?
The premiere date of the 10-episode series is set for September 24.
What is A Different World sequel series about?
The logline reads: “When Deborah, Dwayne Wayne, and Whitley Gilbert’s free-spirited, well-intentioned, yet rebellious youngest child enters her freshman year at Hillman College, she finds the shadow of her parents difficult to escape as she sets out to build her own legacy, while having the time of her life, alongside a whole new generation of Hillman’s best and brightest.”
In addition to a new cast, Netflix is also giving the series a new sound. Grammy Award winner Brandy Norwood will sing the theme song for the new series, which premieres September 24.
“Singing this iconic theme song for A Different World means everything to me,” Brandy told Tudum. “It was one of those shows that I had to watch every time it came on. I remember the song and how it made me feel.”
Who’s in the A Different World sequel cast?
Deadline reports that Maleah Joi Moon will star as Deborah. Moon recently won a Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Musical for Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway.
The ensemble also includes Alijah Kai as Rashida, Chibuikem Uche as Kojo, Cornell Young IV as Shaquille, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir, and Kennedi Reece as Hazel.
On December 17, Deadline reported that Hardison and Guy, as well as Summer and Bell, will return to Hillman to reprise their roles as Dwayne, Whitley, Freddie, and Ron.
“A Different World is back!!! YAY!! We are over the moon to bring this much-anticipated sequel with our returning legacy stars Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer, and Darryl M. Bell! These beloved characters are returning in a major way that respects their history while engaging exciting storylines that are relevant to issues of today,” they shared in a joint statement.
Quantrell Colbert/Netflix
In addition to the legacy cast, Method Man will join as Coach Coles, and Norman Nixon Jr. as Professor Baptiste. Also joining are returning cast members Karen Malina White as Charmaine Brown and Ajai Sanders as Gina Deveaux.
Over its six-season run, A Different World also boasted the talents of Sinbad, Charnele Brown, Glynn Turman, Marisa Tomei, and Jada Pinkett Smith, among others.
Set at the historically Black institution Hillman College, A Different World initially focused on Lisa Bonet‘s Denise Huxtable. But after Bonet left the show after Season 1 — she was pregnant with Zoë Kravitz at the time — the focus turned to the on-off relationship between Jasmine Guy’s Whitley Gilbert and Kadeem Hardison’s Dwayne Wayne.
A Different World, Series Premiere, September 24, Netflix