Everyone knows the plight of Little Orphan Annie and her quest to find a family despite her “hard knock life”. This Christmas, a new adaptation of the musical Annie starring Oscar nominated actress Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie and Jamie Foxx as tycoon Benjamin Stacks (formerly Daddy Warbucks). The first trailer for the movie-musical was released March 5 and shows how unique this version will be from any previous adaptations. Directed by Will Gluck (Easy A) and produced by music mogul Jay-Z and Will Smith, this Annie is set in modern-day New York City (originally in the 1930s). The synth-heavy song samples in the trailer sets the tone for a modern twist on the beloved songs as well.
Movie-musicals successfully captured audiences in the past few years most recently with the live telecast of The Sound of Music on NBC and Les Miserables in 2012. Steven Spielberg has shown interest in re-making Robert Wise’s West Side Story, but no progress has been made so far. Another movie-musical set to be released this Christmas is Into The Woods which will star Meryl Streep and Anna Kendrick.
