Just a little FYI: “Annie” is going to bomb, and it won’ t be because of the Sony hacking or racist emails. I just saw an item somewhere that said Sony’s Amy Pascal is going to meet with Al Sharpton so that blacks won’t boycott “Annie.” Huh? Listen, “Annie” has a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. The reviews are scorching. It’s supposed to be god-awful. If people stay away, it’s because they don’t want to sit through it.
Why is it so bad? They gave a musical to a writer-director who’s never made a musical and has no background in it. Will Gluck directed “Easy A,” a very good movie. Aline Brosh McKenna wrote “The Devil Wears Prada.” Neither of these people is Rob Marshall or Bill Condon. Hello?
Want to see a great movie version of “Annie”? Rob Marshall directed one for TV in 1999, written by Irene Mecchi (“The Lion King”). Kathy Bates, Victor Garber, Audra McDonald and Alan Cumming starred in it. That version was totally smart and enjoyable, and won a boatload of awards. It was far better than the original movie directed by John Huston. Check it out. Here.
