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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110126/ap_en_ot/us_annie_remake

.... WTF??

....is this some sort of sick JOKE??

Why not?

I wish my daddy could buy me a movie role.

Well. The father did Wild Wild West which originally was a cast by a white person

So why not Annie?

Dave said:

I wish my daddy could buy me a movie role.

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this is why

Soooo...envy? Not a terribly compelling reason.

Dear Will Smith,

None of us like your children as much as you do. That's a simple lesson most parents learn, but you seem to struggle with. Stop trying to shoehorn your children into every movie you can think of; they're really not that talented. Thanks.

Jaden did a pretty good job in Pursuit of Happyness. I never saw Karate Kid but it god decent reviews.

MindDetective said:

Why not?

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maybe because Annie is white with curly red hair?

Can you imagine putting a red afro on a black girl and imagine the outcry from the public when she is ridiculed for being a black Ronald McDonald?

This is in the realm of "WTF are you thinking??"

Soooooooo Annie HAS to be white?

Like it's a terrible thing to not have a white red headed Annie.


This is what you're actually saying.

Matt² said:

maybe because Annie is white with curly red hair?

Can you imagine putting a red afro on a black girl and imagine the outcry from the public when she is ridiculed for being a black Ronald McDonald?

This is in the realm of "WTF are you thinking??"

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And they made that movie. Now they're making a new movie. No reason it has to be a white girl at all.

phil said:

Soooooooo Annie HAS to be white?

Like it's a terrible thing to not have a white red headed Annie.


This is what you're actually saying.

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Don't put words in my mouth.

I'm saying Annie : THE CHARACTER : is white with curly red hair. (oh and also no pupils)

she can be anything she wants, but she will never be able to meet the character definition.

She can act in anything she wants but it doesn't mean she will be ACCEPTED as anything.

-shrug- They managed to pull off a pretty awesome black Kingpin in Daredevil.

She had pupils in the other movie. But I doubt that was also a sick joke.

The source material for Annie is that of a little poor white girl. A remake with Will Smith's daughter has two inherent issues. First, Will Smith again buys his kids a movie. The blind idiot public will eat it up and we'll be forced to endure months and months of media blitz over yet another kid who didn't have to audition for a major role.

Second, the "urbanization" of classic movies. I'm looking at you, "Karate Kid". If Will Smith wants to buy his kids movie roles, the least he can do is be original with the stories.

Most child actors are pretty terrible anyway. If it wasn't will smith's kid it would probably be some other rich dude's kid. Considering the track record of people who grow up famous is it really something you'd really want to curse some poor kid with dreams of Hollywood with?



Also it looks like little orphan Annie started in the 1920s? So yeah, her being white has a lot less significance as a character choice considering that.

This is starting to sound like the "you can't cast a black guy to play Heimdall" argument all over again.

I actually liked the Karate Kid remake. It pales in comparison to the original, to be sure, but there's still a lot to like. Jayden has that same charm that his dad's got.

Really.... we need a remake of Annie?

It seems like a terrible idea, but you know what? I honestly, truly, cannot fault Will Smith for trying to make sure his kids are successful. At least in the case of Jaden, he shelled out his own money to set up the projects and make it happen. If it's the same for Willow, good for him. Still not going to go see it.

Will knows that you don't have to be a good actor to be successful, although it can help.

Gryfter said:

Really.... we need a remake of Annie?

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This was at the top of my list of questions

They just made one not that too long ago : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0207972/

Personally, had she been younger: Dakota Fanning.

I'm also liking: Jodelle Ferland as a great child actress as of late.

Chibibar said:

Well. The father did Wild Wild West....

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That is reason enough not to make this movie.

I was mentioning this to my sister, and following from the idea that Daddy Warbucks can't be a white guy in the movie, we think he'll be Indian, with the movie taking place in India and having Bollywood-style musical numbers.

I think I'm going to go with "Who gives a rats ass about Annie anyway?"

Who they casting as Daddy Warbucks?

figmentPez said:

I was mentioning this to my sister, and following from the idea that Daddy Warbucks can't be a white guy in the movie, we think he'll be Indian, with the movie taking place in India and having Bollywood-style musical numbers.

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Well the original did star the King of Siam.

Covar said:

Well the original did star the King of Siam.

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Stanley Andrews played the King of Siam?

I don't think the little red haired orphan would drive the hordes to the theater. At least with Will's daughter you can throw a little street cred in it. She's from the hood and is adopted by a rich family. It'll be fresher than the Fresh Prince. Yo homes smell ya later.

I like the Karate Kid remake a lot. The kid worked well in that movie and, as someone else mentioned, has the same love him/hate him charm that his dad has.

Annie doesn't have to be a little white girl. What's the uproar? Morgan Freeman's character of Red in The Shawshank Redemption was an Irish redhead, but I don't see anyone saying that the character didn't work for the movie.

sixpackshaker said:

Stanley Andrews played the King of Siam?

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Only in my head. For some reason I keep thinking its Yul Byrnner

I'm not seeing a problem here either. The story of Annie isn't race specific as far as I can tell.

The movies are based on the comic, and the comic is based on an 1800's poem:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Orphant_Annie

The poem contains four stanzas; the first introduces Annie and the following three are stories she is telling to young children. The stories each tell of a bad child who is snatched away by goblins as a result of their misbehavior. The underlying moral and warning is announced in the final stanza, telling children that they should obey their parents and be kind to the unfortunate, lest they suffer the same fate.

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If playing a black character as Annie is at all racist, it's because we think of black people when we think of poverty right now. Chances are good when the comic and film were made, people thought of black people as lower than poor - so much so that it wouldn't be proper for a white rich family to adopt one, nevermind the possibility of a black family being rich and adopting a poor black child.

Honestly this it a tempest in a teapot.

The point of the story is that someone who is unfamiliar with wealth and good breeding is suddenly thrust into the lap of luxury.

Hilarity ensues.

Of course they will play on black stereotypes. Is it going to be as blatant as Diff'rent Strokes, or played down as on Fresh Prince? Does it matter?

If it's good, it'll be good. If it's bad, it'll be bad. A bad actor may harm a good script, but the greatest actor can't fix a bad one, so let's just hope they've got good storytellers writing the script and see what happens.

It won't matter one whit what the original comic strip used if the movie is well done.

Quit being reasonable, this is a movie thread. Based on a vague announcement alone, this will be the worst in the history of cinema.

I find it interesting that the same people getting riled up at the suggestion that a white character be played a white actor were recently oppositely getting riled up at the temerity of having Asian characters played by white kids.

I was actually excited when I heard this. I think that kid will do a fine job as Annie. I don't care if she had to audition or not. I have as of yet never cared how any actor in any movie I have ever seen got their part.* I don't see why I would start now with this kid.

I just hope they have the music.


*I just realized there is one. Keanu Reeves as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing. WTF?!

Cool, I hope they shave his head.

Small complaint, but I'd really rather see an older actor play the father.

I'm sure the film will meet expectations, I had no problem with choice of Annie but surprisngly not on board with the Daddy choice.

Jiarn said:

Small complaint, but I'd really rather see an older actor play the father.

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Bam.

Preferably an actor who's still alive.

I still miss Abe.

Wait.. the kid doesn't only get her daddy to BUY her a major movie role, she also gets to decide on the casting!?!?

Jesus titty-fucking christ

As long as she doesn't whip her hair back and forth, I'm fine with this.

Calleja said:

Wait.. the kid doesn't only get her daddy to BUY her a major movie role, she also gets to decide on the casting!?!?

Jesus titty-fucking christ

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.....No, she doesn't. A reporter asked her who she'd want to play the role. Her father may take the suggestion, Pitt might get the role offered to him...or she might be ignored.

Well, as long as this thread is still going:


Sheldon - Feb 11, 2011

Sheldon - Feb 10, 2011