Screen Junkies » annie

Jamie Foxx To Help Daddy Warbucks To Become ‘Benjamin Stacks’ In Jay-Z’s ‘Annie’ Remake

Penn Collins — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:26:49 +0000

You didn’t think that Jay-Z would go through the trouble of remaking Annie without giving it a decidedly more hip-hop slant, did you? And I don’t just mean casting black actors, which doesn’t make the film “hip-hop” or not. Rather, I’m talking about giving the characters cuh-razy fresh hip-hop monikers, like “Benjamin Stacks,” rather than Daddy Warbucks.

Nobody knows what the hell a warbuck is, but even the lamest, whitest people know what Stacks means thanks to Jessie Pinkman from Breaking Bad.

The film will star Quvenzhané Wallis, who will play Annie, and whose character will still be named Annie, because while the second-tier characters can have their names changed, you can’t change the title of the film, cause then you lose all that sweet synergy by mashing up something classic with something new and phresh.

Phortunately, that’s not the case here.

The Ravages Of Age Force Willow Smith To Drop Out Of ‘Annie’ Remake

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:37:50 +0000

Willow Smith has been attached to her parents’ remake of Annie since 2009. The time spent in development has hurt the would-be star as she’s now far too elderly for the role. So, the 12-year old Smith is moving on to her next project but that doesn’t mean there isn’t progress on Annie.

Will Gluck, director of Easy A and Friends With Benefits, is coming aboard to revise the script (and probably add an Andy Samberg character) and direct with the hopes of a 2014 release. Jay-Z remains on the project as a producer and musical supervisor. That girl from Beasts Of The Southern Wild hasn’t joined yet but you just know. (Deadline)

Will Smith Wants Emma Thompson To Write Gangsta Version Of ‘Annie’

Wookie Johnson — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:06:32 +0000

4 photos‘Men In Black’ Will Smith And Josh Brolin Have Sweet Jetpacks In New Set Pics

Will Smith wants his Men In Black boss to write Annie for his daughter, Willow. No, Rip Torn won’t be adapting the famous musical (though that would be awesome). Men In Black III‘s Emma Thompson is his first pick to write the film that he’s producing with Jay-Z. Thompson is well-suited for this material because she’s British.

Actually, she’s well-suited because of her prior scripting work. She wrote Sense and Sensibility as well as the Nanny McPhee films. That paints an awesome visual of Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel and Freeway sitting around watching Sense and Sensibility together. All really quiet and really engrossed. (Vulture)

Ryan Murphy Will Not Direct Willow Smith’s ‘Annie’ Remake, Enjoys Silly Hats

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:37:09 +0000

You’re probably not going to hear the”Glee” kids cover Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It anytime soon. Talks to have “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy direct Willow Smith in a re-imaging of the Broadway hit Annie have broken down like so many necks in Whip My Hair-related injuries.

There’s no word why first-choice Murphy dropped out on contention for the project being produced by Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Jay-Z but it probably has something to do with Murphy’s mangling of Jay-Z’s Empire State Of Mind. There’s no way he’s letting that man near his beloved Hard Knock Life. (Deadline)

Ryan Murphy Asked To Put His ‘Glee’ Stench All Over ‘Annie’

Penn Collins — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:44:48 +0000

Ryan Murphy, shown here delighting a young boy with a kiss, has been asked to helm the Annie remake starring Willow Smith in order to make it the most saccharine project in the history of cinema. Murphy’s possible involvement means that there should be casting decisions regarding openly gay characters in wheelchairs coming any day now. Take THAT, 1994 middle America!

This move seems a little redundant, as I assume anyone that likes”Glee” would already line up to see this remake. See, if the producers Smith had gone a different direction, like Tarantino or maybe that Winter’s Bone gal, then they could have tapped into two audiences. Missed opportunity on their part.

What does all this mean, other than “I’m still not going to see this movie”? It means that the producers, aka “Willow Smith’s parents” take the musical aspect of this production seriously, but not seriously enough that they’re not going to dumb-down the influence of Jay-Z on the project. I can just imagine a production meeting with Will, Willow, Jada, and Ryan Murphy all gabbing it up about which Katy Perry song to introduce in the third act while Jay-Z sits across from them, slowly, methodically banging his head on the table, only to lift his head up and with a solitary tear streaming down his face. (Deadline)

Will Smith And Jay-Z Make Willow An Orphan

Dave Horwitz — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:45:35 +0000

Ah, multimillionaires! Is there no end to the amount of fingers they stick in all manner of honeypots? Will Smith and Jay-Z don’t seem to think so, as the pair are forming a partnership, with the first order of business being a remake of the musical Annie, starring, you guessed it, Willow Smith. Overbrook Entertainment partners James Lassiter, Ken Stovitz, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith are teaming up with the entertainment mogul in a partnership between them and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

An excited Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, seems eager to begin work on the new Annie:

“The time is right to bring back ANNIE to the big screen. Of course, we’re true believers in Willow‘s talent and believe she will be perfect in this role.”Combining Willow with the Overbrook team that reimagined Karate Kid and the spectacular JAY-Z makes this a dream project. A decade ago, JAY-Z proved that the power of the underlying Broadway property remains, by showing how these songs could be reinterpreted for a new generation with Hard-Knock Life. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with our friends at Overbrook as they launch this new venture.”

This new partnership could be gigantic for all parties involved, especially Smith’s children, Willow and Jaden. Until they reach adolescence, they’ll be able to act in remakes of beloved family classics for years to come. I know I’m looking forward to new versions of Goonies, Rookie of the Year, Babes In Toyland, Home Alone, and of course, Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D. (Deadline)

Jay-Z, Will Smith and Willow Smith To Remake ‘Annie’ Because Why?

Geoffrey Golden — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:19:25 +0000

Remember when it was novel that Jay-Z sampled the musical Annie for the song “Hard Knock Life?” Then do you remember thinking how cool it would be if Jay-Z and Will Smith teamed up to do a remake of the film? Oh, you didn’t think that? Yeah, nobody did, but that won’t stop Sony and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from hip-hopping all over the million-year-old comic strip turned movie musical.

Willow Smith, who has whipped her hair back and forth so many times at this point, she might have permanent brain damage, may star as the little orphan in a new version produced by her rappin’ dad. Jay-Z is in talks to produce a new score. “Parents Just Don’t Understand” how to not pimp their children to Hollywood every second. First Jaden Smith stars in Karate Kid, then Willow Smith gets a single, and now Willow gets a movie, so does Jaden get a video game or something?

What a lousy Willenium this is turning out to be… (Cinema Blend via Variety)