Easy A Director Will Gluck to Direct the Big-Screen Remake of Annie; Willow Smith No Longer Attached

Easy A and Friends With Benefits director Will Gluck will direct the upcoming big-screen remake of Annie, according to Deadline.com, which reports that the movie will not star Willow Smith. This new, contemporary version of the musical Annie will begin filming in the fall in advance of a 2014 release.

In addition to directing, Gluck will revise the film’s screenplay, penned by Emma Thompson and rewritten by Aline Brosh McKenna. Produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z, the movie will be a contemporary re-telling of the beloved Broadway musical Annie, now playing at the Palace Theatre.

Annie first opened on Broadway on April 21, 1977, and ran for 2,377 performances. Featuring music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and a book by Thomas Meehan, the musical took home seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical has previously been adapted for the big screen in 1982 and again as a 1999 made-for-TV movie.

To get an idea how the new Annie might sound, check out Jay-Z's 1998 sampling of "Hard Knock Life."