Will Smith to Helm ANNIE Movie Remake Starring Daughter Willow?

According to a report by Variety, Will Smith and Sony are looking into the possibility of creating a movie remake of ANNIE, starring none other than daughter Willow in the title role. "Whip My Hair" collaborator Jay-Z is currently in talks to join the project to "collaborate on the music" and "Project reps were tight-lipped about whether the pic would be a contemporary version and whether it will include any original songs."

Additional details on the film have not yet been released.

Will Smith has enjoyed success in music, television and film. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor on the planet. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards. In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince.

Willow Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl alongside Abigail Breslin. She received a Young Artist Award for her performance. Apart from her acting she launched a music career in the fall of 2010 with the release of her single "Whip My Hair" and signing to Jay-Z's record label Roc Nation. The single peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Smith one of the youngest solo artists in history to do so.

Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre. It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical's songs "Tomorrow" and "It's the Hard-Knock Life" are among its most popular musical numbers.

A 35th Anniversary production has been announced to open on Broadway in Fall 2012. Thomas Meehan is expected to revise the musical, with James Lapine expected to direct, at a Nederlander theatre to be announced.