Last week I reported on word that Will Smith is passing on more than good genes to his kids. In grooming his spawn for their seemingly inherent megastardom, he’s accompanying his son’s blockbuster reboot of The Karate Kid with an Annie remake starring his 10-year-old daughter, pint-sized pop star Willow Smith.
Well, now Overbrook Entertainment has confirmed that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith will be developing an Annie reboot along with rap star Jay-Z. Apparently their collaboration started over a dinner that spawned a beauty products line, and then led to the Broadway mounting of the Tony Award-winning Fela! Obviously a film collaboration was the inevitable next step.
The press release (which you can read in full at Coming Soon) is full of back-patting and talk of a shared “vision,” as well as some disturbing talk that makes the young Willow sound like a product rather than an actress or a child, but little to no details of what this re-imagining will entail. However, with this assembly of talent I’m assuming the feisty lil’ orphan will have a definite hip-hop flare.
Are you interested in a new Annie?