The Madonna biopic looks to have taken its first major step forward as Ozark's Julia Garner has an offer on her table to star. Having first risen to stardom with her eponymous solo album in 1983, Madonna holds the unique distinction of the best-selling female music artist of all-time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide across her 14 studio albums, namely Like a Virgin and True Blue. Madonna would also try her hand with acting in the early days of her fame, starring in everything from Dick Tracy to A League of Their Own and Evita, the latter of which scored her a Golden Globe Award for her performance.
Development on a Madonna biopic has been ongoing since 2017 when Universal first acquired a different version of the project penned by Elyse Hollander and entitled Blond Ambition. Work would begin anew on the Madonna biopic a few years later when the musician teamed up with Oscar-winning Juno writer Diablo Cody to pen the script, with Universal again picking up the rights to the film and later bringing on Erin Cressida Wilson to co-write with the two. Following months of auditions for the Madonna biopic, it appears the creative team have found their lead.
Variety has brought word that the untitled Madonna biopic movie is eyeing Ozark actress Julia Garner to star as the seven-time Grammy-winning musician. Sources report that Garner has been a frontrunner for the role for months and has been offered the part to lead the film. Garner and her team are considering the offer and are reportedly expected to accept it.
Should Garner accept the offer to lead the Madonna biopic, she would beat out a number of other major stars previously reported to be major contenders for the role. Black Widow star Florence Pugh was first reported to be on the shortlist for the film this past September while rumors began swirling earlier this year that Euphoria star Alexa Demie had attended the boot camp audition for the film, with the actress even confirming she had met Madonna, though keeping mum on whether she had auditioned. Sources close to the production have described the boot camp as a grueling 11-hour process as those auditioning were tested on their choreography and musical abilities as well as their acting.
Since making her TV debut in The Americans, Garner has enjoyed a steady rise to fame thanks to her Emmy-winning role as Ruth on Netflix's Ozark, going on to score critical acclaim in The Assistant and Inventing Anna, despite the latter's mixed reception. With Garner's time at a close on the Jason Bateman-led crime drama, along with the show itself, Garner starring as Madonna for the upcoming biopic could be her biggest role yet, namely as the music biopic genre has become popular once again thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. Outside of the biopic, audiences can look forward to Evan Rachel Wood bringing Madonna to life on screen for WEIRD: The Al Yankovic story starring Daniel Radcliffe as the iconic comedian.
Source: Variety