‘Beasts’ Star Quvenzhane Wallis Cast in ‘Annie’
Quvenzhané Wallis is just nine years old, and though she lost out on the Oscar for Best Actress this weekend, the Beasts of the Southern Wild star has another gig waiting: she will step in to the lead role in a new version of Annie, The Associated Press reports, replacing Willow Smith, who had been previously cast as Annie.
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Annie will be directed by Will Gluck, who helmed 2011’s Friends With Benefits and 2010’s Easy A, and is slated for a 2014 holiday release. Annie‘s producers include Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z. No reason has been given for replacing Willow Smith. Wallis has already followed up her Beasts role with a small part with Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch in the upcoming film Twelve Years a Slave.