Willow Smith To Star as 'Annie' In New Movie Remake

Set To Be a Hip-Hop Version of Classic Tale

Ready for Little Orphan Annie to carry some serious swagger? Budding female hip-hop star Willow Smith, 11 - daughter of Will Smith and wife Jada - is set to star in a remake of the classic Broadway show that will have a decidedly modern touch.

Produced by her famous dad with music by Jay-Z (!), look for the show's original anthem, "It's a Hard Knock Life," to be replaced by Hova's reworking of the tune, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" from his album Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life. In other words, don't look too hard for that curly red wig. This ain't your mother's Annie.

Read: Wilow Smith Shaves Her Head Completely

Oscar winner Emma Thompson, who's overseeing the script, is providing even more street cred. "I have been writing it for nearly three years," says Thompson. "In the autumn, we get to go out to L.A. to work with Willow and work on more of the script. Jay-Z has already started working on the music."

Well as long as we're retooling the thing, how about Nicki Minaj as Miss Hannigan? Given how pissed off both Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey reportedly are about Minaj's potential participation as American Idol judge, the flamboyant hip hop star may have soon have quite a large opening in her schedule! Oooh, and LL Cool J as Daddy Warbucks? That'd be some great casting!