Hey Hollywood, the ’80s called and it want you to leave its movies alone! Pint-sized Oscar darling Quvenzhané Wallis will play the titular redhead orphan in the movie musical Annie, producers said Sunday.

The casting announcement comes courtesy of Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment:

“With the recent Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim, Quvenzhané Wallis is a true star and we believe her portrayal as Annie will make her a true worldwide star. She is an extraordinary young talent with an amazing range, not only as an actress but as a singer and dancer, and we can’t wait for audiences to further discover her.”

Wallis, 9, is the youngest Best Actress nominee in history. She has been critically hailed for her work in Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Quvenzhané will replace Willow Smith, who was tapped for the Will Puck-directed, Emma Thompson-penned vehicle before dropping out of the role last month. It was Willow’s famous dad who first toyed with remaking the 1982 film — about a young girl who sings her way through life in a New York orphanage during the Great Depression.

Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z – who signed Willow to his Roc Nation label in late 2010 — will contribute music for the film. As hardcore hip-hop heads may recall, Jay-Z created a hip-hop version of Annie’s “Hard Knock Life,” for his 1998 Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life LP.

Annie: The Musical is currently enjoying a revial on Broadway. The original show won a Best Musical Tony Award back in 1977.

The Annie remake is expected to hit theaters just in time for Christmas 2014.

Written by Castina on February 25th, 2013 | Tagged as: Movies