'Annie' stars share why new movie is so special to them

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- It's a kid classic re-imagined for a new generation. Little orphan Annie is back, and this time, her story is being brought to life by Quvenzhane Wallis.

Annie was a child of the 1920s, born in a newspaper comic strip 90 years ago.

A stage musical inspired by "Annie" was a hit on Broadway in the 1970s and became a movie in the 1980s, but now comes another film and another Annie, reworked for the 21st Century.

The youngest actress ever to earn an Oscar nomination, Wallis is perfectly cast as Annie, who is no longer an orphan in the new movie, but a foster kid living in Harlem in the apartment of Cameron Diaz, as Miss Hanigan.

"It was just great being there with all the great actors and actresses, so it was all just really fun," Wallis said.

She added that shooting on the streets of New York brought excitement to the film, saying, "It just adds all the excitement from the people that just don't care and just yell out stuff and cross the street and ruin the shot."

Jamie Foxx wanted to make a movie his youngest daughter could enjoy.

"To be on this set is really refreshing," he said. "Seeing Quvenzhane, seeing someone her size, doing all these incredible things. And Quvenzhane was so nice to (my daughter). It's great to have your kids be part of something that is so monumental."

Foxx plays a billionaire who has a chance encounter with Annie while he's running for mayor, with Rose Byrne and Bobby Carnevale by his side.

What begins as a ploy ends up a partnership, and it all plays out on the streets of our city.

"We made this movie for the generation of kids who may never see the original 'Annie,'" Diaz said. "This will be the only 'Annie' they know."

New York City has never looked brighter or more fun. Filmmakers created the billionaire's apartment in 4 World Trade Center, next to the city's tallest building, and the views from there alone may be worth the price of admission. But so far, critics haven't been very kind to this new "Annie."

Sandy Kenyon will weigh in with his review. You can catch it Friday at noon on Eyewitness News.