Inventing Anna Star Julia Garner To Play Madonna In Biopic
Image: Julia Garner (left) and Madonna.
After a long and challenging casting process, it appears that Madonna has finally chosen the actor who will portray her in an upcoming biopic.
The casting for the long-gestating film has been making news since the project was first announced, and now, according to reports in Variety, the role of the Material Girl will go to Julia Garner.
Fans of the singer praised the selection of Garner with one Twitter user saying, “Maybe it’s too soon to say (we DO need to see the film still) but I’m struggling to think of examples of casting as perfect as Julia Garner as Madonna – & it goes far beyond the physical similarities. A performer as powerful as Garner will embody this role to the FULLEST extent,” while another fan tweeted “Julia Garner as Madonna is the smartest decision ever.”
The biopic is expected to detail Madonna’s rise to fame, culminating with the Blonde Ambition tour. A release date and other production information has yet to be made public.
Julia Garner Is Two Time Emmy Winner
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Garner, who has won two Emmy awards for her role as Ruth Langmore in Ozark, beat out fellow finalists including Florence Pugh, of who Madonna told the Associated Press in 2021, “She’s definitely up there on the list, if she’ll have me.”
Alexa Demie (Euphoria), Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown), Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria), and Odessa Young (Mothering Sunday) as well as singers Bebe Rexha and Sky Ferreira rounded out the remaining Madonna candidates.
In a February appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Garner played coy when host Andy Cohen asked her about her being in the running to play Madonna. “You know as much as I do” said Garner. Cohen also pointed out that Madonna also follows the Ozark star on Instagram.
Madonna’s Gruelling Casting Process
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Madonna, who is directing the film, put the contenders for the role through what has been described as a “grueling” casting process, including a “Madonna boot camp,” which focused on singing and dancing.
The Hollywood Reporter said all the finalists were put though long days (reportedly as long as 11 hours) of choreography training, after which Madonna herself would direct the candidates in more choreography. Then Madonna would oversee callbacks which included readings of the script and singing.
“You have to be able to do everything,” said one source close to the production.
In 2021, Madonna said of the film, “It’s a pretty crazy experience so far, I’m just in the writing process, and just deciding which stories to tell, how much detail to go into, which characters to develop. It’s really been a long and arduous process, but it’s been really therapeutic as well.”
Madonna Was Upset About Unauthorised Biopic
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In a statement Madonna said she hoped the film would “convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer — a human being, trying to make her way in this world. The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”
In 2017, Madonna was reportedly upset about an unauthorised film, which had been put into development by Universal Pictures.
The film, which was set to be called Blonde Ambition, was to detail the iconic star’s rise to fame, with a script written by Elyse Hollander.
“Nobody knows what I know and what I have seen,” Madonna wrote on Instagram. “Only I can tell my story. Anyone else who tries is a charlatan and a fool looking for instant gratification without doing the work. This is a disease in our society.”
Madonna To Direct Her Biopic
In September 2020, Madonna announced she was developing her own film, working with a script by Diablo Cody, who later left the production. Madonna is now working with a script written by Erin Cressida Wilson.
“The reason I’m doing it is because a bunch of people have tried to write movies about me, but they’re always men,” Madonna said, of her film, during an October appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Madonna told Fallon that one unauthorized biopic of her particularly incensed her because of the film’s proposed director.
“I’m not even gonna say his name, but he’s a total misogynist [and he] was directing and I’m looking, ‘Why would these people make a movie about my life?’” she added. “There’s nothing true in the script, the guy who’s making it has no understanding of women. No appreciation for women. No respect for women.”
“This happened a couple of times and I had to like call people up — call up the heads of studios, call up my agents — threaten them and say that I will stand in front of the building and protest and make everybody’s life a misery if they go through with it, and they still did not take me seriously. So finally I just threw down the gauntlet,” Madonna told Fallon.
Julia Fox Cast As Madonna’s Friend
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Meanwhile, the biopic has also reportedly cast Julia Fox (Uncut Gems) in the role of Madonna’s close friend, actor Debi Mazar.
Mazar, writing on Instagram back in January, discussed her feeling about being portrayed in the film.
“I find it all quite amusing, but what I find most interesting is that someone will be playing ME! It’s surreal!”
“Madonna has an epic story to tell…Our friendship is most precious to me and Madonna is a great visionary. I can’t wait to see what she does!”
Garner, who is currently starring in Inventing Anna for Netflix is currently in production on her latest film, Apartment 7A.
