Willow Smith has dropped out of the forthcoming remake of Annie. The tween was set to star in the film, to be produced by her parents, Will and Jada, through their Overbrook Entertainment company; with Jay-Z holding down the music section.
Rumor has it that little Willow believes she’s too old to sink her teeth into the role of the lovable orphan.
Sony announced that Will Gluck—director of Easy A, and the Justin Timberlake flick, Friends with Benefits—will helm the latest silver screen adaptation. Gluck is revising the original script, written by Emma Thompson and rewritten by Aline Brosh McKenna. “After seeing firsthand his work on several films for Sony, including Easy A and Friends with Benefits, we’re huge fans of Will Glick,” said Sony execs, Doug Blegrad and Hannah Minghella, in a statement. “At the helm of Annie, he will bring to this film all the charm of the original Broadway production while also appealing to a new generation.”
Jay, and longtime business partner Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith, will score the film under their Marcy Media imprint. “For Marcy Media’s first foray into film, we couldn’t ask for better partners and mentor than Overbrook Entertainment. We are excited to work with Will Gluck and Sony Pictures Entertainment,” Hov said in a statement. “My well-known affinity for the classic ‘Hard Knock Life’ makes Annie a natural vehicle to lead us into the world of the cinema.”
No replacement for Willow has been announced, but 9-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis has been named as the frontrunner for the part. Wallis starred in the film Beast of the Southern Wild, for which she earned the Oscar nod.
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