The Italian restaurant that Annie visits is named "Domani", a translation of "Tomorrow", the title of this musical's best-known song.
Sandra Bullock was originally considered to play Miss Hannigan. She declined the role, citing once how she "hates musicals and vows to never star in one."
The final film for Cameron Diaz before her retirement. Some say it was her getting a Golden Rasberry Award for the year's worst performance as Colleen Hannigan in Annie that drove her towards dropping out of film altogether.
In 2011, Will Smith envisioned this film as a star vehicle for his daughter, Willow Smith, with Jay-Z playing Will Stacks. By the time production was ready in 2013, Willow was too old to play Annie.
The girl in the first scene of the movie, giving her report, is likely meant to pay homage to the original Annie from 1982 (the red, curly hair and the red cardigan). This girl is Taylor Richardson, who played Annie on Broadway.