‘A Different World’ Sequel to Begin Filming in June

Source: Lynn Goldsmith / Getty

Could it really be happening? A new generation may soon be back in class at Hillman College. 

In a rare move reported by Deadline, streaming giant Netflix has ordered a pilot of a sequel to the classic television show to be filmed this spring. 

As reported last year, the sequel will center on the life of Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley’s (Jasmine Guy) daughter’s time at a fictional HBCU–however, Deadline has not confirmed that the show will return to Hillman. The pilot is reportedly being headed up by writer Felicia Pride. 

Pride, who has worked on Bel-Air and Grey’s Anatomy, will join fellow executive producers Debbie Allen, Mandy Summers, Tom Werner, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood. The iconic series helped launch the careers of Hardison and Guy as well as fellow cast members Dawnn Lewis, Darryl M. Bell, Sinbad, Charnele Brown, and Cree Summer.

Also, the author of The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs, Pride’s production company Honey Chile Entertainment is executive producing and writing the Lifetime original movie Black Magick and developing the series Livelihood, based on her spec, for Netflix, and Seven Days in June for Amazon.

According to Deadline, casting is now underway for Deborah Wayne, Dwayne and Whitley’s daughter, and several other cast members ages 18-20. Shooting is expected to take place in June in Atlanta. 

A Different World ran for six seasons from 1987 to 1993. The “Will They or Won’t They” plot line between Dwayne and Whiltey became a focal point in the latter years of the series. 

Social media users seem enthusiastic about the possibility of the upcoming sequel. One post on X (formerly Twitter) is gaining traction as a fan posts her dream cast. 

One blog poster known simply as “Jas” shared that the sequel could provide a much needed counterbalance to the current political landscape, writing on Medium, “In a country that continues to repress Black media, eliminate DEI initiatives, ban books that inform us about Black history, and deny us a seat at the table, we need a show like this to give us a warm and cozy safe space more than ever.”