Julia Garner has revealed that the long-awaited Madonna biopic she is set to star in remains a 'work in progress'. The 31-year-old actress, known for her roles in Ozark and Inventing Anna, confirmed the update to W Magazine, stating: 'I can’t say too much about it, but yes, it’s a work in progress.'
The project, which will see Garner portray the iconic singer, was put on hold in 2023 as Madonna embarked on her 84-show Celebration Tour, which concluded in May 2024. Upon returning from the tour, Madonna revealed she was still working on the film's script. A release date from Universal Pictures has yet to be announced.
Garner, who beat competition from Florence Pugh, Alexa Demie and Sydney Sweeney for the role, reflected on the intimidating audition process. She recalled: 'I had to learn to dance and then dance in front of her and convince her that I can dance and sing – and sing with her!' To boost her confidence, she adopted a Madonna-like mentality: 'What would Madonna do? Which is convince you that she deserves to be in this room, and I owned it.'
The actress also shared her favourite Madonna songs, including 'Borderline' and 'Papa Don't Preach', and expressed her love for the album Confessions on a Dance Floor and the track 'Ray of Light'. 'I love all of Madonna, basically,' she said.
Garner acknowledged that the biopic may take time to reach screens, adding: 'I feel like anything that’s great…takes a long time.' The film remains highly anticipated following Garner's recent roles in The Fantastic Four: First Steps and the horror film Weapons.
