Hillman Is Back for Real: Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Cree Summer, and Darryl Bell Reunite for Netflix’s “A Different World” Sequel

Hillman College is opening its gates again, and this time the alumni are walking back in with history, legacy, and unfinished business.Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Cree Summer, and Darryl M. Bell are officially reuniting for Netflix’s upcoming “A Different World” spinoff, returning to the roles that helped define Black television for a generation. The four original cast members will recur throughout the season, marking a major homecoming for longtime fans.

The single camera comedy will run for 10 half hour episodes and is led by showrunner and executive producer Felicia Pride. Debbie Allen, whose fingerprints are all over the original series as a producer, director, and cast member, will executive produce and direct three episodes of the new show, including the premiere.

Pride and Allen celebrated the reunion in a joint statement, saying, “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 added, “Throughout the season, fans will have a chance to reunite with these O.G. characters and see how their lives have evolved into ‘A Different World.’ And as the story unfolds, there will be more cast surprises in store for longtime fans. We can’t wait for lovers of the show to experience this new chapter as a real continuation of the legacy show, and we’re excited to welcome new audiences to Hillman.”

The new series centers on Deborah Wayne, played by Maleah Joi Moon, the daughter of Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, as she begins her freshman year at Hillman College and struggles to step out of her parents’ legendary shadow.

Summer returns as Freddie Brooks, Bell reprises Ron “Ronaldus” Johnson, and the new cast includes Alijah Kai, Chibuikem Uche, Cornell Young IV, Jordan Aaron Hall, and Kennedi Reece.

Netflix ordered a pilot in March before officially picking up the series last month, bringing one of TV’s most beloved worlds into a new era while honoring the one that made it iconic.