The central character has been popular with children and adults alike since the 1920s, and the score is based on the catchy tunes of a 1980s musical. But for the new adaptation of “Annie,” about a precocious orphan in search of her family, the director Will Gluck’s goal was to be sure the film felt modern.
“Will’s battle cry was we’re taking this iconic story and making it completely contemporary,” said Renée Ehrlich Kalfus, the film’s costume designer. “So I didn’t want to get that involved in what came before. I wanted to keep it fresh in my mind going forward.”
The clothing line elicited some controversy this week, when a group of parents criticized Target for using white models in its in-store advertising campaign for the line, instead of featuring either Ms. Wallis herself or other African-American models. Target responded with a statement saying that the campaign used several models from “a variety of backgrounds” and that Ms. Wallis had participated in other promotions for the line. Ms. Kalfus spoke with The Times before the controversy and declined to comment further.
For the complete article and interview, visit The New York Times.com.
