Jay-Z Writing Music For Willow Smith’s ‘Annie’ Remake

When Jay-Z released his hit song “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” in 1998, using a sample of the song “It’s A Hard Knock Life” from the musical Annie, do you think he ever imagined he’d be writing new songs for a big-screen remake of the Broadway show 14 years later? We’re going to go with no, probably not, but that’s what’s happening.

Hova will pen new songs for the remake of the 1982 movie musical, which will star 11-year-old Willow Smith in the title role. (Surprise, surprise — her dad Will Smith is also co-producing the flick with Jay).

“I have been writing the script for nearly three years; it’s exciting,” said Oscar-winning screenwriter and actress Emma Thompson. (As of now, it appears Thompson will just pen the script, not appear in the final film.) “In the autumn, we get to go to LA to work with Willow and work on more of the script… Jay-Z has already started working on the music.”

The film, which begins production in Spring 2013 in New York, will also include some of the classic songs from the original musical in addition to Jay-Z’s new tunes.

The MC has strong connections to the Smith family — Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith co-produced the Broadway musical Fela! with Jay-Z. The rapper also signed Willow to Roc Nation on the strength of her debut single “Whip My Hair”.

Think Willow will be busting out Jay’s version of “Hard Knock Life” on the big-screen?

[Via Playbill]