Ready to take on a hard-knock life, Cameron Diaz joins the cast of Annie as Miss Hannigan in the Jay-Z remake.
According to MTV News, Diaz will play the mean-spirited boarding school matron alongside Jamie Foxx (White House Down) as Daddy Warbucks, and Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts Of The Southern Wild) as the lead role of Annie in the updated version of the classic musical.
With Jay-Z and Will Smith on board as producers, the news of Diaz’s casting follows reports that Sandra Bullock — who was originally slated to play the role that Carol Burnett made famous in the original 1982 film adaptation — opted out last week. The Annie remake was first announced in January 2011 with Smith’s daughter, Willow Smith, originally intended for the role of Annie. When filming began however, Willow left the cast because she was too old, leaving the Oscar-nominated actress Wallis to land the part.
“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,” Columbia Pictures’ Hannah Minghella said in a statement about the young actress.
The film is slated to hit theaters on Christmas 2014. –Andrew Asare
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