One of the most hotly contested roles on Broadway and in Hollywood last year was that of Little Orphan Annie - for the recent James Lapine-directed Broadway revival of the hit Charles Strouse/Martin Charnin tuner, as well as the radically reconceived and rewritten new feature film adaptation of the property, produced by Will Smith and Jay Z - and front-runner for the film, Willow Smith, opens up about why she passed up the chance to play the title role in a new interview.
Willow Smith has just unveiled the music video for her new single, 'Summer Fling'. The artist co-directed the project along with Mike Vargas. Get a first look below!
Willow Smith, the 'Whip My Hair' tween hitmaker daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, has withdrawn from the forthcoming feature film remake of ANNIE. Charles Strouse, Thomas Meehan and Martin Charnin's Tony Award-winning stage musical ANNIE has previously been filmed twice, the first time in 1982 with John Huston in the director's chair and later in a made-for-TV adaptation produced by Disney and helmed by CHICAGO director Rob Marshall in 1999.
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Today we are talking to the proud "Pope Of Trash" himself - the iconic writer/director of such seminal cinematic entries as cult classics PINK FLAMINGOS, FEMALE TROUBLE, DESPERATE LIVING, HAIRSPRAY, CRY BABY, SERIAL MOM, CECIL B. DEMENTED, A DIRTY SHAME and many more - the one and only John Waters. Packing a characteristically caustic conversation into a relatively brief time slot was no trouble for Waters, for he and I cover a wide range of topics, from his favorite 2012 films to his all-time favorite movie musicals and much more. Most importantly, Waters discusses his process in adapting the hit Tony Award-winning stage property HAIRSPRAY into concert form and what we can expect from his newly-penned narration and role as narrator in the live Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presentation of HAIRSPRAY: IN CONCERT on January 24. Additionally, Waters expounds on his experiences creating the original HAIRSPRAY film and how it compares to both its musical sister, as well as the hit 2007 feature film adaptation of it (in which he makes a cameo appearance as - what else? - "the flasher who lives next door"). Plus, Waters opens up about the plot and themes of HAIRSPRAY 2: WHITE LIPSTICK, a project he was commissioned to create a few years ago as a new film project but which is currently on hold indefinitely. All of that, filming the remarkable 2012 horror film EXCISION, memories of the recently deceased Patti Page and the unforgettable use of the Bob Merrill pop earworm "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window" at the grand finale of PINK FLAMINGOS, an update on his children's film project, FRUITCAKE, as well as details about his new book and what we can expect from Waters in 2013 insofar as personal speaking engagements go - and, how Justin Bieber is the new Shirley Temple. All of that and much, much more awaits!
WAT-AAH!, a line of functional water for kids and teens, announces 'Move Your Body 2013' in celebration of the 3rd year anniversary of Let's Move!. This year with the support of professional athletes and celebrities, thousands of children from over 600 schools across the United States will come together to move and dance in support of First Lady Michelle Obama 's Let's Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity.
According to a report by The Sun, the new Annie film starring Willow Smith will begin production in Spring 2013 in New York City. The film is being developed by Sony Pictures and produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Production Company, Overbrook Entertainment. In January of 2011, Columbia Pictures President Doug Belgrad said in a statement, '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.' Emma Thompson has signed on to write the screenplay.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson, declared the highest grossing movie actor of all time according to the Guinness Book of World Records, will be this year's BET AWARDS 12 host. In addition, the members of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly are the prestigious recipients of the 'Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award;' and Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj were revealed as the first confirmed performers.
Will Smith, star of the film MEN IN BLACK 3, was a guest on this morning's GOOD MORNING AMERICA. In an interview with Robin Roberts, the actor chatted about his daughter Willow's starring role in an upcoming modern film version of the Broadway musical ANNIE.
Earlier today at a press conference held in BET's New York studios, it was announced that actor Samuel L. Jackson, declared the highest grossing movie actor of all time according to the Guinness Book of World Records, will be this year's BET AWARDS 12 host. In addition, the members of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly were announced to be the prestigious recipients of the 'Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award;' and Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj were revealed as the first confirmed performers.
This Black History Month, BET and CENTRIC will showcase the range, richness and diversity of the African-American experience with an exciting lineup of programming highlighting the cultural contributions of black America.
The fifth annual BET HONORS will celebrate the outstanding achievements of extraordinary legends in music, literature, entertainment, media, service and education. Acclaimed actress Gabrielle Union hosts the show for a fourth year, honoring renowned poet/author Maya Angelou (Literary Arts), internationally acclaimed musician Stevie Wonder (Musical Arts), Grammy-Award winning songstress Mariah Carey (Entertainer), influential filmmaker Spike Lee (Media), the heroic Tuskegee Airmen (Service) and inspirational coach and mentor Beverly Kearney (Education). The BET HONORS premieres during Black History Month, on Monday, February 13 at 9:00 p.m.*
The fifth annual BET HONORS will celebrate the outstanding achievements of extraordinary legends in music, literature, entertainment, media, service and education. Acclaimed actress Gabrielle Union hosts the show for a fourth year, honoring renowned poet/author Maya Angelou (Literary Arts), internationally acclaimed musician Stevie Wonder (Musical Arts), Grammy-Award winning songstress Mariah Carey (Entertainer), influential filmmaker Spike Lee (Media), the heroic Tuskegee Airmen (Service) and inspirational coach and mentor Beverly Kearney (Education). The BET HONORS premieres during Black History Month, on Monday, February 13 at 9:00 p.m.*
The fifth annual BET HONORS gears up for a highly anticipated show, celebrating the outstanding achievements of extraordinary legends in music, literature, entertainment, media, service and education. Acclaimed actress Gabrielle Unionhosts the show for a fourth year, honoring renowned poet/author Maya Angelou (Literary Arts), internationally acclaimed musician Stevie Wonder (Musical Arts), Grammy-Award winning songstress Mariah Carey (Entertainer), influential filmmakerSpike Lee (Media), the heroic Tuskegee Airmen (Service) and inspirational coach and mentor Beverly Kearney (Education). The BET HONORS premieres during Black History Month, on Monday, February 13 at 9:00 p.m.
