Annie 2014 Release Date, Cast & News: Should We Have a Latina 'Annie?' Director Will Gluck, Cast Say Yes!
"El sol saldrá mañana. Apuesta tu último dólar. Esa mañana. Habrá sol! ("The sun'll come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar. That tomorrow. There'll be sun!")
"Tomorrow," the beloved "Annie" theme song, has a nice ring to it in Spanish, doesn't it?
Actress Aileen Quinn, who played "Annie" in the 1982 film adaptation of the seven-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical, agrees and told Latin Post that she thinks "Tomorrow" sounds "so beautiful in Spanish" as well.
After all, "Tomorrow" is a song about hope, which can be translated and understood in any language.
On Sunday, Dec. 7, Quinn, who is still an adorable redhead, continued to radiate with her enthusiasm and signature glow reminiscent of her coveted role. With a spring in her step, Quinn walked down the red carpet at Ziegfeld Theater in New York for the world premiere of the beloved American musical-turned-movie "Annie," starring Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis.
The 2014 remake of "Annie," which hits theaters on Dec. 19, also includes a stellar and diverse cast including: Cameron Diaz ("Bad Teacher," "There's Something About Mary"); Jamie Foxx ("Ray," "Horrible Bosses 2"); Rose Byrne ("Bridesmaids"); Bobby Cannavale ("Blue Jasmine," "Boardwalk Empire"); and Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje ("Congo," HBO's "Oz"), who also made their way down the red carpet on an extremely chilly day in the Big Apple.
Quinn, who admits she gets "very emotional" when seeing child actors flourish, is also reminiscent of her youth both on Broadway and in Hollywood, and is thrilled with an African-American actress playing the role of "Annie." She is also totally on board with the idea of a Latina "Annie," as well.
"That would be very cool. I am not sure if you know this about me, but I lived in Chile for six months, so I do speak a little Spanish and I love the Latin culture, too," she told Latin Post. "I love the idea that they did this (cast Wallis as 'Annie') and I think the idea of foster care is really cool because that still happens. I get excited about that angle. And yes! I think we need a Latina Annie, too!"
Pumped up by the idea of a Latina "Annie," Quinn added, "Absolutely, 'Tomorrow' is so beautiful in Spanish. We are going to learn it in Spanish for next time when the next 'Annie' comes out!" she said.
Considering "Annie" now has a half-Latina Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz, who is half Cuban), does the director and cast of "Annie" 2014 foresee a Latina "Annie" in the future?
Yes indeed -- if the talent is there.
Having a new "Annie," who happens to be African-American, is a plus and a score for diversity, yet the color of her skin, her race or creed doesn't matter whatsoever; what it really comes down to is the talent, a point reiterated by Director/Producer/Screenwriter Will Gluck, who also spoke to Latin Post.
"Of course! We cast this movie completely race-blind," Gluck told Latin Post. "We had an open casting call and we cast the best 'Annie.' I can see a Latin 'Annie' if she's the best 'Annie,' just like Quvenzhané was the best 'Annie.' Look at the poster and look at the foster kids, it doesn't matter what they are, they are the best at it."
"Annie" also has some solid backing from Hollywood and the music industry with producers Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Shawn "JAY Z" Carter, James Lassiter, Caleeb Pinkett, Laurence "Jay" Brown and Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith, who helped come up with the modern twist on "Annie."
Emmy-winning "Boardwalk Empire" actor Bobby Cannavale, who plays Guy, Will Stacks' (played by Jamie Foxx) shrewd and scheming campaign advisor in "Annie," said sure why not!
"I think it's great for the simple fact that kids should be able to go to the movies and see themselves. It wasn't made that long ago. In 1982, there should have been at least one or two black kids in that movie and there wasn't," the actor, who is of Italian and Cuban descent, pointed out.
"Kids movies are about empowering kids. There is nothing like kids seeing other kids on screen, affecting change. I think the fact that she is African-American is great ... The next will be Latin, yeah ... Anna Maria," Cannavale told Latin Post.
"I think it's just coming up with the times, we're in a contemporary society. It's not just black or white or Asian, it's a multicultural melting pot and I think this movie represents that," Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje, who plays Nash in "Annie," told Latin Post.
"I think more than anything than color, I think it represents the spirit. In New York, when the chips are down, how people come together. It's more than just about race, creed, it's about human beings," he explained. "That's what is beautiful about human beings, how we just support each other no matter where we're from. You see that in 'Annie' with foster kids who are an extended family ... but I would love to see a Latina 'Annie!'"
"Of course, I am up for it, I'm Latina. I think films should be as diverse as possible. That is why I am here to work on opening it up for everyone, "Orange Is the New Black" actress Dascha Polanco told Latin Post. "Maybe I'll put my daughter in it, who knows!"
Is the latest "Annie" anything like the 1982 film adaptation starring Quinn?
While there are many parallels to the 1982 film, the newest "Annie" has a hip and contemporary spin with its modern backdrop being the bustling Big Apple, where the film was shot in Manhattan and Harlem, among other locations. Wallis proves that while she's a young, happy foster kid, she also has some street cred and is 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 (Diaz). But everything's about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Foxx) -- advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (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."
Being "Annie" was a dream come true for Quinn both on stage and on the movie set. She went on a world tour and visited 13 different continents with her family, which included a performance at the White House and meeting the Pope in Rome.
"I believe that 'Annie' will always be a special part of my life," Quinn said.
"Annie," starring Quvenzhané Wallis, hits theaters on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014.
Check out a video of Quinn's Broadway and Hollywood experience, which ultimately led to the hugely successful 1982 version of "Annie."