Thompson on Hollywood

- The question is, will Willow Smith in a remake of (Little Orphan) Annie turn out to be a box office hit that plays like an extended music video proving that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith turned out some cute money makers? Or will it be a gritty, creative and inspired re-telling of the outdated musical and 1982 John Huston film? Jay-Z signed Willow Smith (so thank him for "Whip My Hair") and is in talks to do the music on the remake. If Jay-Z's 1998 Annie-theme-song-inspired "It's The Hard Knock Life" is an indication of how the film would feel, we'll support it all the way. If the remake is heading for Whip My Hair Annie we'll pass. Videos of both Jay-Z and Annie's versions of "The Hard Knock Life" are below.

- "Sometimes reading news about Hollywood’s development slate is almost as depressing as the front-page stories about the economy," says Movieline, so they have a list of upcoming films they "actually want to see." Their selection includes Alfonso Cuaron's still starless Gravity, Raymond Chandler's detective novel Trouble is my Business (Clive Owen has the rights), noir puppet film-for-adults The Happytime Murders (think Team America meets Se7en), Paul Verhoeven's erotic ghost story The Eternal, and Natalie Portman's raunchy comedy for women, BYO.

Film Experience has decided (sight unseen) that True Grit gal Hailee Steinfeld has Best Actress potential rather than the usual supporting-actress default accorded to young actresses. Why? In order to include her in their investigation of the youngest Best Actress nominees. Here is their list (winners are in bold):1. Keisha Castle Hughes, Whale Rider (2003) was 13.
(Wow, well would you look at this? Either Jennifer Lawrence or Steinfeld would become #2 if nominated for Best Actress.) 2. Isabelle Adjani, The Story of Adele H (1975) was 20. 3. Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice (2005) was 20 going on 21.  4. Ellen Page, Juno (2007) was about to turn 21. 5. Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God (1986) was 21 (She's the youngest winner of all time in this category.) 6. Elizabeth Hartman, A Patch of Blue  (1965) was 22. 7. Kate Winslet, Titanic (1997) was 22 and 4 months. 8. Janet Gaynor, Seventh Heaven/Sunrise/Street Angel (1927/1928) was just a few days older than Winslet. 9. Leslie Caron, Lili (1953) was 22½ 10. TIE! Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman(1990) and Winona Ryder, Little Women (1994).
They were both 23 years and 108 days old when they were nominated. And here's another twin moment: it was the second nomination for both as they'd been previously honored in Best Supporting Actress.

- It sounds too good to be true; Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese all working on a hitman drama entitled The Irishman? It's one of a handful of projects Scorsese is considering for his next film (he's currently shooting 3-D Hugo Cabret with Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen). De Niro has been developing the picture at Paramount through his Tribeca Productions. The script is written by Steve Zaillian (Schindler's List, Gangs of New York, David Fincher's Dragon Tattoo series), based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran & The Inside Story of The Mafia, The Teamsters, & The Last Ride of Jimmy Hoffa by Charles Brandt. The title comes from the first words ever spoken from Jimmy Hoffa to Frank Sheeran (presumably Pacino and Pesci), the subtext approximating: "I heard you kill people and paint the walls and floors with their blood." With a title like that, what better cause to reunite this Goodfellas/Heat/Casino crowd?