Continuing the same thought process that inspired Jay-Z to turn his sample of “Hard Knock Life” into a full-blown Annie remake in the first place, Jamie Foxx is now in talks to star in the Will Smith co-produced film as the new, updated Daddy Warbucks renamed “Benjamin Stacks,” because hip-hop. As The Hollywood Reporter helpfully explains, “You know he’s rich because his name literally means stacks of $100 bills, aka Benjamins,” and you know you’re watching an Annie that Jay-Z and Will Smith have made for the hip-hop kids of today's hip-hop streets, because slang like this says, "Annie is here to knock da boots, Big Willie style, no diggity." Foxx has already received an offer to take on the role of Benjamin Stacks—which presumably went through several rejected names such as “Cheddar Pile” and “Scrilla McHighyieldsavingsaccount”—and is currently negotiating to join already-confirmed star Quvenzhané Wallis, whose Annie gets to keep her name, despite it having decidedly less hip-hop attitude. The film will hopefully make up for this by having her dog be a DJ, scratching the hip-hop records.
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