Quvenzhane Wallis – We Are Movie Geeks

ANNIE – The Review

Review by Kathy Kaiser

Director Will Glueck takes a classic 1982 film and brings it into the 21^st century with all the star-power and modern day finesse imaginable, as we travel the road of orphan/turned foster kid in 2014’s version of ANNIE!

When we meet Annie (played by the youngest Academy Award nominee EVER for best actress in 2014, Quvenzhané Wallis) she is trying to make her way on the streets of New York City in hopes of catching a glimpse of her parents at the restaurant Domani. When once again her parents don’t arrive at the restaurant, Annie is forced to return to her foster home and to her mean and evil Foster Mom, Ms. Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). Even though she loves being with her foster sisters Tessie, Mia, Issabella, and Pepper, Annie continues to search for her parents, as she knows it is only a matter of time before they come to get her. During one of her excursions around town, she is saved from being hit by Mayoral Candidate and business tycoon Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx), whose campaign manager Guy (Bobby Cannavale) sees lots of opportunities with using Annie in their campaign, after the video of Stacks pulling Annie from the street – just in the nick of time – goes viral. When Stacks VP Grace (Rose Byrne) invites Annie to come stay with Stacks for a few weeks, as his campaign against the incumbent mayor is heating up, Annie finds that a world filled with privilege – and an awesome new dog named Sandy – plus the father figure she has been longing for her whole life, might just be the right fit for her after all….

I absolutely loved the 1982 version of this film, so I have to admit going in I was a little bit skeptical of this remake. But as remakes go, Glueck did a superb job of tweaking the story just right by adding a few new songs and plot twists, making this film fresh and new. Annie this time around is sassier, more worldly, and as always, very entertaining – as Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis is absolutely perfect in this role. And how can you not love seeing Jamie Foxx dance and sing – as I had forgotten how well he really does sing since DREAMGIRLS – and who doesn’t love Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale this time around too, as they are perfectly cast in their respective roles. The only role I wasn’t totally sold on was Cameron Diaz playing Ms. Hannigan. I love Cameron, but her playing the mean spirited Foster Mom didn’t work for me at all – Don’t worry Carol Burnett, Cameron didn’t outplay your most memorable part ever, so you will always be Ms. Hannigan in my eyes, but as movies go, and even remakes for that matter, ANNIE is a definite must see for your family this Holiday Season! You will once again be touched by the little girl with big dreams and a big heart as a new generation is brought to tears – including my 14 year old at the advanced screening she joined me for – and even though it has been getting really bad reviews, personally, I really did enjoy it – whether it’s the mother in me, or the musical lover in me, whatever it was doesn’t really matter –I found it very entertaining. This ANNIE will touch viewers both young and old – just like the Original did – and you can take my word on that!!

3 1/2 of 5 Stars

New ANNIE Movie Poster

Time to “stick out your chin and grin and say…” The new poster for Sony Pictures’ upcoming movie ANNIE was revealed today.

Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014.

Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything’s about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) – advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) – makes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he’s her guardian angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.

A Broadway classic that has delighted audiences for generations comes to the big screen with a new, contemporary vision in Columbia Pictures’ comedy ANNIE.

Director/Producer/Screenwriter Will Gluck teams with producers James Lassiter, Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith, Caleeb Pinkett, and Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Laurence “Jay” Brown, and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith with a modern telling that captures the magic of the classic characters and original show that won seven Tony Awards. Celia Costas and Alicia Emmrich serve as Executive Producers. The screenplay is by Will Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna, based on the musical stage play “Annie.”

ANNIE will be in theaters December 19.

Watch The New ANNIE Trailer

In theaters December 19th, here’s the brand new trailer for ANNIE.

Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz).

But everything’s about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) – advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) – makes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he’s her guardian angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.

A Broadway classic that has delighted audiences for generations comes to the big screen with a new, contemporary vision in Columbia Pictures’ comedy, ANNIE.

Celia Costas serves as Executive Producer. The screenplay is by Will Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna, based on the musical stage play “Annie,” book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and on “Little Orphan Annie,” © and ® Tribune Media Services, Inc.

www.Annie-Movie.com

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First ANNIE Trailer & Poster Arrive – Stars Quvenzhané Wallis, Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx

A Broadway classic that has delighted audiences for generations comes to the big screen with a new, contemporary vision in Columbia Pictures’ comedy, ANNIE.

Academy Award® nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014.

Check out the first trailer and poster for the film.

Director/Producer/Screenwriter Will Gluck teams with producers James Lassiter, Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith, and Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Laurence “Jay” Brown, and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith with a modern telling that captures the magic of the classic characters and original show that won seven Tony Awards. Celia Costas serves as Executive Producer. The screenplay is by Will Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna, based on the musical stage play “Annie,” book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and on “Little Orphan Annie,” © and ® Tribune Media Services, Inc.

ANNIE will be in theaters December 19, 2014.

www.Annie-Movie.com

Join the Experience on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialAnnieMovie
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnnieMovie
Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/anniemovie

40th Student Academy Award Winners

Sixteen students from colleges and universities around the world were honored last night (June 8) as winners at the 40th Student Academy Awards ceremony at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The medal placements were announced at the ceremony hosted by writer-director and 1978 Student Academy Award® winner Bob Saget. Writer-director Kimberly Peirce and actors Clark Gregg, Jason Schwartzman and Quvenzhané Wallis presented the awards.

The winners are:

Alternative
Gold Medal: “Bottled Up,” Rafael Cortina, Occidental College
Silver Medal: “Zug,” Perry Janes, University of Michigan
Bronze Medal: “The Compositor,” John Mattiuzzi, School of Visual Arts

Animation
Gold Medal: “Dia de los Muertos,” Lindsey St. Pierre and Ashley Graham, Ringling College of Art and Design
Silver Medal: “Will,” Eusong Lee, California Institute of the Arts
Bronze Medal: “Peck Pocketed,” Kevin Herron, Ringling College of Art and Design

Documentary
Gold Medal: “A Second Chance,” David Aristizabal, University of Southern California
Silver Medal: “Every Tuesday: A Portrait of The New Yorker Cartoonists,” Rachel Loube, School of Visual Arts
Bronze Medal: “Win or Lose,” Daniel Koehler, Elon University

Narrative
Gold Medal: “Ol’ Daddy,” Brian Schwarz, University of Texas at Austin
Silver Medal: “Josephine and the Roach,” Jonathan Langager, University of Southern California
Bronze Medal: “Un Mundo para Raúl (A World for Raúl),” Mauro Mueller, Columbia University

Foreign Film
Gold Medal: “Miss Todd,” Kristina Yee, National Film and Television School, United Kingdom
Silver Medal: “Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, Zurich University of the Arts, Switzerland
Bronze Medal: “Tweesprong (Crossroads),” Wouter Bouvijn, RITS School of Arts, Erasmus University College Brussels, Belgium

This year saw first-time honors go to Elon University, Occidental College and the University of Michigan in the U.S. competition, as well as to Zurich University of the Arts and RITS School of Arts, Erasmus University College Brussels, in the foreign competition.

The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 46 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared eight awards. The roster includes such distinguished filmmakers as John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Robert Zemeckis, Trey Parker and Spike Lee.

Read a full rundown of the night’s events HERE.

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Photos: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S

Quvenzhane Wallis To Play ANNIE

Overbrook Entertainment, Marcy Media, director Will Gluck and Sony Pictures Entertainment have cast Academy Award® nominee Quvenzhane Wallis, the star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, in the title role of ANNIE, it was announced Oscar Sunday by Doug Belgrad , president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio.

Commenting on the announcement, Minghella said, “With the recent Academy Award® nomination and critical acclaim, Quvenzhane Wallis is a true star and we believe her portrayal as Annie will make her a true worldwide star. 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.”

Annie will be released during the winter holiday season in 2014. The film is being directed by Gluck and produced by James Lassiter , Jada Pinkett Smith , and Will Smith through Overbrook Entertainment, and by Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Jay Brown , and Tyran ” Ty Ty ” Smith through Marcy Media. Gluck is currently revising the film’s screenplay, which was written by Emma Thompson and rewritten by Aline Brosh McKenna based on the musical stage play “Annie,” book by Thomas Meehan , music by Charles Strouse , lyrics by Martin Charnin , and on “Little Orphan Annie,” © and ® Tribune Media Services, Inc. The film is being overseen at the studio by Andrea Giannetti and Devon Franklin.

QUVENZHANE WALLIS’ favorite pastimes are reading, singing, dancing, acting, and playing her iPod and Nintendo DS. Her favorite TV stars/singers are China McClain , Selena Gomez , and Miley Cyrus . Her favorite sports are basketball, volleyball, dance and cheerleading. Her upcoming films include a role in Twelve Years a Slave with Brad Pitt , Michael Fassbender and director Steve McQueen .

The Academy Salutes Honorees At The 2012 Governors Awards – Photos And Video Highlights

Iconic filmmakers and A-list stars attended the 2012 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, Saturday, December 1. The biggest names in Hollywood gathered to celebrate the indelible contributions of honorees D.A. Pennebaker, George Stevens Jr., Hal Needham, and Jeffrey Katzenberg to filmmaking and the world. The guest list included Seth MacFarlane, host of the upcoming 85th Academy Awards ceremony, as well as the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Also on hand were Richard Gere, Amy Adams, Helen Hunt, Bradley Cooper, Will Smith, Ewan McGregor, David O. Russell, Kathryn Bigelow, John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Kristen Stewart, Christopher Nolan and many more.

Writer/director/producer George Lucas (left), Oscar-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (center) and Oscar-winning director/writer/producer Robert Zemeckis.

LINCOLN filmmakers – Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner, Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg and Oscar winning cinematographer Junusz Kaminski.

A video clip kicked off the evening saluting the history of the Academy’s Honorary Award, which was begun in 1948 to honor achievements outside the categories of the existing Oscars. This year, three honorees received Honorary Awards for their work, which ranged from Needham’s death-defying stunts to Pennebaker’s groundbreaking documentaries and Stevens’ landmark film preservation, while Katzenberg was recognized for his trailblazing philanthropic efforts.

The Academy blogged the ceremony live and concluded with, “As the night’s four honorees reunited for a group photo on the stage at the close of the evening, each man’s words continued to resound and providing an inspiring example to future generations of filmmakers and benefactors to come.”

Here’s a glimpse of the awards presentations in these various videos below.

The Governors Awards ceremony was produced by Don Mischer, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Charlie Haykel, and Julianne Hare, and highlights from the evening will also be presented when the recipients appear as part of the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013.

Actress Kristen Stewart and Actress Quvenzhane Wallis.

Oscar®-nominated director/writer/producer David O. Russell (left), Oscar-winning actor Warren Beatty (center) and journalist Tom Brokaw.

Actor Dwight Henry (left), Governors Awards producer Cheryl Boone Isaacs (center) and actress Quvenzhane Wallis.

Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left) and Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper.

Actress Leslie Mann (left), Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner (center) and producer/writer/director Judd Apatow.

Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left), Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (left center), actor Badley Cooper (right center) and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (center).

Oscar®-winning actor Kirk Douglas (left) with wife Anne (right) and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks.

Oscar®-winning actress Annette Bening (left), Honorary Award recipient George Stevens Jr. (center) and actor Richard Gere.

Oscar®-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat (left), Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (left center), actor
Édgar Ramírez (right center) and Oscar-winning writer/producer Mark Boal.