UPDATED: Academy Award Nominee Quvenzhané Wallis to Star in the Will Smith and Jay-Z-Produced Remake of Annie

UPDATE: As reported by Deadline (and confirmed by Sony), Quvenzhané Wallis, Oscar nominee and star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, has officially been selected to play the title role in the feature film remake of Charles Strouse’s musical.

February 24, 2013 – Quvenzhané Wallis can’t seem to hold on to a set of parents. After playing the self-sufficient, motherless five-year-old Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild (and achieving the title of youngest Oscar nominee in history for it), nine-year-old Wallis is now under consideration to take on the role of Annie in the newest film remake of the iconic Charles Strouse musical, according to Entertainment Weekly .

Will Smith and Jay-Z have been developing the project for several years, with the title role originally intended for Smith’s daughter Willow, who launched her musical career at the age of ten with her 2010 debut single “Whip My Hair.” Willow Smith withdrew from the project last week, but director Will Gluck, Sony Pictures, and producers Will Smith and Jay-Z plan to move forward with the film and may have their sights set on America’s newest young film star.

If chosen for the film, Wallis will join the ranks of young actresses such as Andrea McArdle, Sarah Jessica Parker, Aileen Quinn, and star of the current Broadway production, Lilla Crawford, in the hallowed hall of “Annies.” Wallis has already proven that she can cry on cue – and make us cry on cue — but the singing and tap dancing has yet to be seen.