According to Collider, a director has finally been Annie Movie Poster - Columbia Picturesfound for the unnecessary remake of “Annie.” The film is being produced by Will Smith (“I’ Robot”) and Jay-Z (“The Great Gatsby”), and Sony has now hired Will Gluck (“Easy A”) to helm the flick. The good news is Will Smith’s untalented daughter Willow Smith is too old for the lead role now so they will have to recast. I understand the significance of the first film, but I never much cared for it, so hearing there is a remake for the new generation doesn’t affect me too much. I can only imagine how the “Hard Knock Life” song will go with all the orphans tweeting on their iPhones about how horrible their lives are (#HardKnockLife), but at least Jay-Z seems excited. Speaking on behalf of his new production company he said, “For Marcy Media’s first foray into film, we couldn’t ask for better partners and mentors than Overbrook Entertainment. We are excited to work with Will Gluck and Sony Pictures Entertainment. My well-known affinity for the classic ‘Hard Knock Life’ makes ‘Annie’ a natural vehicle to lead us into the world of the cinema.” Bring on the hip-hop beats and unnecessary dance numbers!

It feels like it has been a while since we’ve seen Sam Worthington in a flick (he was in two forgettable films last year), but his upcoming slate seems really promising. He just finished starring in David Ayer’s (“End of Watch”) next film “Ten,” and is now slated to star in the action thriller “For the Dogs.” THR is reporting that the adaptation of a novel by the same name, written by Kevin Wignall, will be directed by Philip Noyce (“Salt”). The story centers on a Lucas (Worthington), solitary assassin who helps a young college girl seek revenge for the murder of her parents and brother. It seems like we are getting a lot of “lone gunman” style films lately, but as long as there is a strong team behind them I don’t mind. The script is being written by Oren Moverman (the incredibly underrated “Rampart”), and will be produced by Worthington and FilmEngine Entertainment.

Heat Vision has learned that the long in the works adaptation of the hit video game “World of Warcraft” is finally seeing some movement. Warner Bros. has hired Duncan Jones (“Source Code”) to direct the film, and the script was written by Robert Rodat (“Saving Private Ryan”) and re-worked by Charles Leavitt (“Blood Diamond”). The film will have a budget over $100 million, and will draw off characters, themes, and stories shown in the hit MMORPG (I wish they would use the story from “Warcraft 2 & 3”). No wordy yet on which stories they will use, but Bleeding Cool has picked up on a casting rumor, and it’s a doozey. Warner Bros. is apparently pursuing Johnny Depp (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl”) for a starring role (which would be perfect for attracting mainstream audiences unfamiliar with the game), but nothing has been confirmed yet. With a start date of this fall we should be hearing a lot more news about this huge profile film soon.

Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”) and bad boy Colin Farrell (“In Bruges”) are, according to Variety, set to star in a stage to film adaptation. August Strindberg’s “Miss Julie” is being adapted for the big screen by writer/director Liv Ullmann (“Sofie”); it explores issues of power through social class, gender, and family and will surely make for a great on-screen drama. The story takes place in 1874 and concerns a young woman attempting to escape an existence cramped by social mores who strikes up a relationship with a senior servant. It is thought that Chastain will play the role of the young woman, and Farrell will play the servant. I think this is incredible casting as both have tremendous talent (though Farrell’s is frequently wasted), and the story seems relevant to today’s social issues.

Noomi Rapace (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) and Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) seem very keen on working with each other. The two are already set to star in the adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s (“Gone Baby Gone”) novel “Animal Rescue,” and now Collider has learned they are in talks to star in “Child 44.” Based on a book by the same name from author Tom Rob Smith, the story takes place in the 1950s where it centers on a security officer (Hardy) in the Soviet Union who finds himself demoted and exiled while investigating a string of murders. Daniel Espinosa (“Safe House”) will direct the thriller, and Rapace is eyeing the role of Hardy’s mysterious wife, with Ridley Scott and his Scott Free banner producing. “Animal Rescue” shoots in March, and then they will hop over to Budapest to begin production on this in May.

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Gomenzalez1000 said:

	... Lets get a remake of Boyz in the Hood with an all white cast and then sit back and watch the "Hollywood is racist" remarks start to fly from the black community.
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January 31, 2013
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