Do you prefer the 80s, late 90s or 2014 Annie?

I grew up with the 1999 version, then saw the 2012 Lapine revival on Broadway. Liked both.

I prefer 1999. I didn’t watch until 2012 as a high school senior actually but it felt a bit more entertaining especially the cast and the Christmas setting. Still hard to believe it was made in response to the success Disney/ABC had with Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

I love the 1999 TV movie. The cast is incredible, the design elements are top notch and I love the creative decisions to not lean too much into the standard Annie tropes (like the standard curly red hair) and instead capture the spirit of the show in their own way.

I directed a production of Annie a few years ago and when questioned why our Annie didn't wear a ghastly clown looking wig (my words), I pointed them to this TV movie

The 1999 TV version was the first one I saw and still very much consider it to be the definitive screen adaptation of Annie. Unlike the 1982 movie, it was directed by a guy who clearly knew his way around musicals very well. Although I actually never saw the 2014 iteration.

In fact, when producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron went to Rob Marshall about directing and choreographing the TV version, he at first turned it down. He said "I'm not a director, I'm a choreographer. I don't know why you're even offering me this movie." Then Zadan & Meron asked if he ever thought about directing a movie, which he then said "No. I don't know anything about film." After long discussions, Rob finally agreed to direct it, but Disney executives didn't want him. They said "Annie is too valuable a property. We're not gonna give it to a guy who's never directed a movie." Yet, because Zadan and Meron both really believed in him, they told the executives in response for weeks that they won't produce it. They knew at the time that since Cinderella was so huge, the last thing Disney wanted to do was another musical not produced by them. So they kept calling saying "Let's go over a list of directors," but Zadan & Meron kept going "no" because they really wanted Rob Marshall to do it. Disney eventually conceded and allowed him to direct and choreograph.

Imagine how different things would've been if Rob didn't get to direct Annie.

I've very partial to the 1982 version, since I saw it in theater back then when I was 12, and it had that big cinematic feel that I was very into at the time (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, etc.). Until I saw the recent live version on TV, I had no idea the changes that had been made from the original musical, but, since it was my first introduction to it, that's the version that I'll always prefer. It's definitely a movie musical that was formative in my future interest in musical theatre.

Updated On: 5/2/23 at 08:30 PM

It's the 1999 one for me. The heartbreaking, reprise of Tomorrow by Audra McDonald as Grace seals it for me. Such a beautiful moment.

FilmandTheatreFan said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "I grew up with the 1999 version, then saw the 2012 Lapine revival on Broadway. Liked both."

I sadly never saw that production as I live in Scotland. I however recently saw the wonderful late Paul ogrady in Edinburgh. What a talent and a great loss"

I’m in Fort William so getting to Edinburgh is a bit of a headache but I genuinely considered it for Paul. Absolutely heartbroken about his death, my husband and I have been watching old specials of his since his death.

I grew up with the '82 version, so it has my heart. Plus I love Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, et al., in those roles. Carol's "Little Girls" is perfection.

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "The 1999 TV version was the first one I saw and still very much consider it to be the definitive screen adaptation of Annie. Unlike the 1982 movie, it was directed by a guy who clearly knew his way around musicals very well. Although I actually never saw the 2014 iteration.

In fact, when producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron went to Rob Marshall about directing and choreographing the TV version, he at first turned it down. He said "I'm not a director, I'm a choreographer. I don't know why you're even offering me this movie." Then Zadan & Meron asked if he ever thought about directing a movie, which he then said "No. I don't know anything about film." After long discussions, Rob finally agreed to direct it, but Disney executives didn't want him. They said "Annie is too valuable a property. We're not gonna give it to a guy who's never directed a movie." Yet, because Zadan and Meron both really believed in him, they told the executives in response for weeks that they won't produce it. They knew at the time that since Cinderella was so huge, the last thing Disney wanted to do was another musical not produced by them. So they kept calling saying "Let's go over a list of directors," but Zadan & Meron kept going "no" because they really wanted Rob Marshall to do it. Disney eventually conceded and allowed him to direct and choreograph.

Imagine how different things would've been if Rob didn't get to direct Annie."

The bad repercussion would have been that we wouldn't have such an exciting film version of Chicago. The good repercussions would have been that we would have been spared the yawnfest that is every other movie he's directed.

^^ At least I didn’t think Mary Poppins Returns was that bad