Sony has released a new trailer for Annie, the latest remake of the story of the famously optimistic orphan. The new film stars Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis (Beast of the Southern Wilds), Jamie Foxx (Ray), Rose Byrne (Neighbors), and Cameron Diaz (Sex Tape). Will Gluck (Easy A) directs a script that he co-wrote with Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada). Will Smith and Jay-Z were both producers on the project, and it is scheduled for release on December 19th.
This will be the third film adaptation of Annie based on the 1977 musical. The latest version features some significant modifications to the story. Annie (Wallis) catches the attention of billionaire and mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Foxx) when he pulls her out of the way of a car. Stacks later decides to keep Annie around to help his image with voters. Over time the two become closer, and while Stacks promises to help Annie find her parents, he will be very sad to see her leave. Cameron Diaz portrays Ms. Hannigan, the matron of the orphanage, while Rose Byrne plays Grace, a friend and supporter of Stacks. The more racially diverse cast, modified story, and references to social media all reflect an attempt to update the story for modern times. Previous efforts to ‘modernize’ old franchises have generally resulted in mostly forgettable films that go for easy pop culture references. Annie‘s trailers have kept such references to a minimum suggesting that the new plot could be an attempt to work around some of the more outlandish elements of the musical and comic strip.
Leave a Comment