Wallis to star in Annie

Annie is due to hit theaters in 2014 during the winter holiday season, and is based on the stage play about an orphan’s adventures in finding her family and a better life while overcoming the schemes of orphanage mistress Miss Hannigan.

President of production at Columbia Pictures Hannah Minghella expressed confidence in Wallis’ talent and star power.

“With the recent Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim, Quvenzhané Wallis is a true star and we believe her portrayal as Annie will make her a true worldwide star,” she said.

“She is an extraordinary young talent with an amazing range, not only as an actress but as a singer and dancer, and we can’t wait for audiences to further discover her.”

Among the film’s co-producers are Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter. Carter’s 1998 Grammy-winning album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life contains a hip-hop version of It’s a Hard Knock Life, a song from the original Broadway musical Annie.

The hit musical was first made into a film starring Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan in 1982.

Wallis will be the first African-American actress to play Annie, who has been traditionally portrayed as a freckle-faced redhead.