Netflix has officially greenlit a continuation of A Different World, bringing the beloved Hillman College legacy to a new generation. The revival has a 10-episode order and will be filmed as a single-camera comedy.
Felicia Pride (Grey’s Anatomy, Bel-Air) will lead the series as showrunner and executive producer. Debbie Allen, who played a crucial role behind and in front of the camera on the original series, is set to direct three episodes including the premiere.
The new chapter follows Deborah Wayne (played by Maleah Joi Moon), daughter of Hillman legends Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert. As Deborah begins her freshman year at her parents’ alma mater, she quickly learns that living up to their legacy comes with pressure. Determined to make her own mark, she dives into campus life alongside a new class of Hillman students.
The cast also features Alijah Kai as Rashida, Chibuikem Uche as Kojo, Cornell Young IV as Shaquille, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir, and Kennedi Reece as Hazel.
Original series writers Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood return as executive producers, joined by Mandy Summers and Tom Werner. The Bythewoods described the revival as a full-circle moment, noting that the original series launched both their careers and personal partnership.
Pride shared that revitalizing A Different World is deeply meaningful to her, calling the show formative and influential in her life.
The original A Different World, a spinoff of The Cosby Show, aired for six seasons on NBC and became a cultural touchstone for its portrayal of life at a fictional HBCU. It remains widely celebrated for shaping conversations around Black identity, education, and young adulthood.
While no original cast members are officially confirmed to return, discussions have been underway. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, production on the new series is scheduled to run from February 5 through April 27.