As Will Smith, Jay-Z and Sony finally see their efforts to launch a remake of Annie take off, the cast is coming into focus. Quvenzhané Wallis landed the lead already, but the other key role of Daddy Warbucks was still up for grabs. Until now, that is, because it appears Jamie Foxx will take it on{
In what seems to be a fitting move for this hip-hop-flavoured update, Foxx has been offered the role of Benjamin Stacks, the Warbucks for the new millennium. The name, of course, is another gag on cash – meaning his stacks of Benjamins, aka hundred dollar bills (these show President Benjamin Franklin, fact fans). It’s all about the Benjamins. He’ll be the one to take Annie in and away from her horrible orphanage, assuming he makes a deal with the studio.
Easy A’s Will Gluck came aboard in January to direct and re-write a script that has already seen work from Emma Thompson and Aline Brosh McKenna, with a shoot targeted at later this year and a 2014 release date.
It’s perhaps not surprising that Sony would look to Foxx: after all, he’s been working on **Amazing Spider-Man 2 **for the studio and is set to appear in White House Down, which hits here on September 6. Check out the trailer for the latter below.