I might be one of the few people who thinks the upcoming Annie adaptation starring Willow Smith (daughter of Will Smith) is a brilliant idea, especially with the involvement of rapper Jay-Z (who famously sampled the orphan on Hard Knock Life in 1998) but the latest news on the project (via Deadline) has significantly lowered my expectations for the project. They are reporting that Sony is approaching Glee creator Ryan Murphy to serve as director on the musical.
The man clearly knows musicals but his directorial style leaves much to be desired. Eat, Pray, Love and Running With Scissors were both massive let downs despite strong source material and although Glee started out strong, the show has run itself into the ground with shrill characters and a lack of consistent plot.
I still have high hopes that Smith will make a fantastic Annie but I remain skeptical to whether Murphy is the right guy for the job. This definitely seems like a job better suited for an Adam Shankman type.
What do you think of the choice to go with Murphy? Can he translate the initial Glee success into a big screen musical?