I'm use to remakes. They are as much apart of Hollywood as original content. Every year more and more movies are made that borrow from or are a direct remake of other films and that is fine, but every once in a while a piece of film nostalgia comes up and it gets my blood boiling. This time it's the classic musical "
Annie." A film I grew up with, one that was one of my first theatrical experiences. Now its seems that
Will Smith has joined up with
Jay-Z and
Overbrook Entertainment to remake the classic musical with Smith's daughter Willow. Read the full details below...
Last year Smith used his stature to get a remake of
The Karate Kid in theaters with his pubescent son Jayden. Now this year he's decided to pimp his daughter Willow on to the big screen. Unlike Jayden, Willow already has herself a growing career from her hit single "Whip My Hair" and it seems Smith thinks is prime time to get her even more in the limelight and on the silver screen.
Smith and the powers behind Overbrook Entertainment believe they are developing a superstar. Even Columbia Pictures President Doug Belgrad has joined the bandwagon and exclaims, "
The time is right to bring back ANNIE to the big screen. Of course, we’re true believers in Willow's talent and believe she will be perfect in this role."
While Smith may have made true believers out of
Columbia and
Jay-Z, I'm not biting. Why is Willow perfect for this role? What has she done to prove herself? Because she had one music single or because she's Will Smith's daughter and he has enough pull to strong arm his biding? We all know Smith makes mega-millions with his movies, but why must we endure his children because he deems them a star? I understand Smith wanting the best for his kids, but to push them on Hollywood with his clout is no different than the
Toddlers and Tierra moms who force their children into a career despite their best interests. Now I'm sure Smith's kids all beg daddy to get them a record contract or their very own movie, like I begged for the latest video game as a kid, but should Smith actually give into these demands? Should he use his stature to get his children work? I say, hell no. Let his children earn their careers on their own merits not because he is trying to mold them into cross-platform stars.
It may seem like an exaggeration now, but how far off are we from seeing Jayden Smith in a remake of
E.T.,
Flight of the Navigator,
D.A.R.Y.L.,
Cloak and Dagger or
Just One of the Guys? Or maybe we see Willow in
Savannah Smiles,
Pipi Longstocking or
The Journey of Natty Gann remake. I am disgusted by this news not because it is a remake, but because Smith is using his power to make it happen.
One last note, just because Jay-Z bit a song from
Annie and turned it into a hit, doesn't mean he's needs to be on this project. The whole thing stinks. On a positive note, here's hoping that Jayden and Willow Smith turn out to be just as good as the Bridges family. Lord knows Lloyd Bridges got his two son's some work back in the day and look how that turned out.
Source:
Deadline
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