1. Annie
Plot: Plot-wise, all that's known about the film is that it will be a modern re-telling of the Broadway musical.
Based on: Obviously, the musical of the same name. Annie has since been adapted twice: once for theatrical release in 1982 and as a made-for-TV film in 1999. Neither film is particularly well-regarded so perhaps we are due for a new version of Annie? At first, it may seem strange that Jay-Z would be involved as a producer for the new Annie film but he did heavily sample the song in his 1998 hit "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)." Did he just use the sample to fit the theme of his song or is he a legitimate fan of the musical? Apparently, it's the latter. Who knew? Will Smith is also on board as a producer. He originally had his daughter Willow Smith attached to play the title character, but I am sure he was pressured to change his mind. Especially when Oscar-nominated 10-year-old actress Quvenzhane Wallis suddenly became available. Wallis is certainly an inspired casting choice, but can she sing? It will be interesting to find out. Also in the cast, Jamie Foxx as Benjamin Stacks (this film's Daddy Warbucks) and Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan. Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends With Benefits) is the film's director, and apparently production on the film has already wrapped. I can definitely dig a new Annie film with a diverse cast. The prospect of Willow Smith as Annie originally had me rolling my eyes, but how can you deny Quvenzhane Wallis? She's freaking adorable. Still, the whole "modern retelling" aspect of the project keeps me from fully embracing the idea of this film. Plus, apparently Jay-Z wrote new songs for the musical as well? How exactly is that going to work? There's just a few too many strange aspects regarding this remake. An attempt to turn Annie into a hip musical seems like a fool's errand as Annie seems inherently un-hip. At any rate, I'll give them this: they have gotten me a little excited about a new Annie film. That's never happened before. It could be fun, it could be a disaster... we will have to wait until next Christmas to find out for sure.
U.S. Release Date: December 26th