Netflix’s Followup to “A Different World” Adds Six Cast Members to Pilot
Netflix’s highly anticipated followup to the classic show “A Different World” has recently announced the addition of six talented cast members to the pilot, according to sources at Variety.
The new cast members include Chibuikem Uche as Kojo, Maleah Joi Moon as Deborah, Cornell Young as Shaquille, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir, Alijah Kai Haggins as Rashida, and Kennedi McClure as Hazel.
Netflix has chosen not to comment on the casting news at this time.
The upcoming series, which was first reported to be in development in August 2024, will take viewers back to Hillman College, the fictional historically Black university, and will follow the daughter of original series characters Whitley and Dwayne.
Leading the creative team behind the project is writer, executive producer, and showrunner Felicia Pride. The executive producers also include Debbie Allen, Mandy Summers, Tom Werner, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Reggie Bythewood. Allen, who directed many episodes of the original series, is set to direct the new pilot as well.
“A Different World” originally began as a spinoff of “The Cosby Show” and went on to become a beloved series in its own right, focusing on the lives of students at Hillman College after the departure of Lisa Bonet’s character, Denise Huxtable.
While Netflix typically opts for straight-to-series orders or script-to-series deals, the decision to produce a pilot for this project signifies its importance. This move comes after Netflix surprised many by introducing an ad-supported tier in November 2022, despite previously stating they would never include ads on the service.
