BEHOLD. Quvenzhané Wallis. Cameron Diaz. Jamie Foxx. Lots and lots of sass and, of course, singing. It is finally upon us—the trailer for the new Annie film is here.
There's everything you would expect (a rousing rendition of "Hard Knock Life," mean old Miss Hannigan, played by Diaz and Sandy! Freaking SANDY is even in this!) with some expected modern twists. The new Daddy Warbucks is Jamie Foxx and his name is now "Benjamin Stacks." (WINK WINK, NUDGE NUDGE) Oh, and he's running for mayor of New York City and decides to take in an orphan to help his image. There's your plot, everyone! Take it and run with it. This looks pretty good! I'm excited to see Wallis sing "Tomorrow," because—well, who the hell wouldn't want to see that? Some evil monster with a frozen soul and a heart made of rocks?
In 1982, when the original Annie movie was released, casting the two leads with Black actors would have been simply impossible. Watching this trailer now, it doesn't feel like a big deal (meaning, these actors are perfect for their respective roles, period) but it IS a big deal, for a lot of reasons.
