Quvenzhane Wallis Confirmed To Star In 'Annie'

So much for taking the opinion of that 'Anonymous' Oscar voter. The young Academy Award nominated star has been cast in the lead role of a new version of Annie.

Announced today (2/24) by Sony Pictures, Wallis, 9, will play the lead role of Annie in a contemporized adaptation of the Broadway musical play and comic strip. Will Gluck (Easy A) is attached to helm the project.

"With the recent Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim, Quvenzhane Wallis is a true star and we believe her portrayal as Annie will make her a true worldwide star," Sony production president Hannah Minghella said in a statement, according to Deadline. "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."

We wondered aloud if the precocious young talent could belt out a tune. It seems that the big wigs at Sony are confident that she'll be able to carry Jay-Z's tune.

In addition to Annie, Wallis, who is one of the youngest Oscar-nominated actors ever, has a small role in director Steve McQueen's upcoming film, Twelve Years a Slave.

Annie is planned for release during the 2014 holiday season. Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Jay-Z are the producers behind the picture. As we reported before, the Smiths' daughter, Willow, had originally been slated to play Annie—but dropped out.

Props: The Los Angeles Times