Will Smith Developing Remake of Annie

Will Smith’s production company Overbrook Entertainment has announced plans to remake the classic family story Annie with his daughter Willow Smith in the lead role. This follows a similar path taken with the Karate Kid remake that was a vehicle for his son Jaden. That movie was a smashing success and likely influenced getting this new project off the ground with plans for even more remakes in the future. Also partnering with Will Smith will be Jay-Z who will work on music for the film.

The time is right to bring back ANNIE to the big screen. Of course, we’re true believers in Willow’s talent and believe she will be perfect in this role. Combining Willow with the Overbrook team that reimagined Karate Kid and the spectacular JAY-Z makes this a dream project.  A decade ago, JAY-Z proved that the power of the underlying Broadway property remains, by showing how these songs could be reinterpreted for a new generation with Hard-Knock Life. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with our friends at Overbrook as they launch this new venture.

Annie began as a musical in 1977 based on the popular comic strip and was adapted to the big screen in 1982 and also with a made-for-TV movie in 1999. Songs such as “Tomorrow” and “It’s a Hard Knock Life”, the latter of which Jay-Z covered himself, have remained popular over the years and the story can still resonate with family audiences.