“Annie” is underway.
The musical remake, from producers Jay Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, began principal photography today on location in New York, where the film is set.
“Annie” stars Quvenzhané Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) as the titlular orphan and Jamie Foxx as Benjamin Stacks, a new take on Daddy Warbucks.
Cameron Diaz will also star as Miss Hannigan, the evil owner of Annie’s orphanage. Rose Byrne will play Stacks” vice president Grace, while Bobby Cannavale as Guy, political consultant to Stacks.
Bobby Cannavale, Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, Amanda Troya, Eden Duncan Smith, Nicolette Pierini and Zoe Colletti round out the cast.
Will Gluck (“Easy A”) is directing, and revised the screenplay by Emma Thompson and Aline Brosh McKenna.
James Lassiter, Jay Brown, and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith are also producing. The film is based on the stage musical stage by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin which was turned into a big screen hit in 1982. It was, of course, based on the original comicstrip “Little Orphan Annie” created by Harold Gray.
“Annie” will hit theaters December 19, 2014.