Julia Garner hasn't given up hope of playing Madonna on the big screen, but she's clearly not holding her breath for a start date. The Ozark actress, 32, was cast as the pop icon in 2022 after an intense audition process involving singing, dancing and acting "as her."
But the long-awaited biopic was put on hold in 2023 when Madonna shifted her attention to the Celebration Tour. "I don't know," she said.
"Every hour it changes, in a way." The actress made it clear that the decision isn't hers, although she still wants the project to happen. "It's not up to me," Julia continued.
"I would love for the movie to get made, obviously. But I also feel whatever happens, like, I made a great friend." That friendship, it seems, has been one of the biggest takeaways from the experience.
Garner added, "I love Madonna," before praising the singer's work ethic: "I think she's incredible. She taught me properly how to work."
The audition itself was no walk in the park. Garner laughed when asked about the demanding process, saying, "That's what I mean by work." "I wasn't a trained dancer," she admitted, but added that the challenge pushed her.
Asked whether she surprised herself, she replied, "Yeah, but I always try to." The two are, however, set to appear in season two of Apple TV's The Studio. Industry insiders have frequently commented on the unpredictable nature of biographical film productions in Hollywood, where scheduling conflicts and shifting creative visions often delay highly anticipated projects for years.
For fans of both the legendary pop star and the talented young actress, the wait continues as development remains stalled without a confirmed timeline for resumption. Will the Madonna biopic finally make it out of development limbo?
Only time will tell as negotiations and scheduling alignments proceed behind the scenes.