It’s been a minute since we heard anything concrete about Madonna's self-directed biopic. After months of radio silence and cryptic reports that the project had been scrapped, many fans assumed it was another iconic project that would never make it past development stage.
But according to Julia Garner, it’s still very much alive. In a new interview, the Fantastic Four star confirmed she’s still set to play the pop legend — and gave new insight into the intense audition process that involved singing with Madonna and dancing for her.
Here are all the important details.
Who’s involved?
Julia Garner — known for her Emmy-winning role in Ozark and more recently, Fantastic Four: First Steps, was handpicked to portray Madonna after an intense audition process she called “a challenge.”
“I had to learn how to dance, and then dance in front of her and convince her that I can dance,” Garner said on the SmartLess podcast. “And sing. And sing with her!”
She added that to prepare for the addition, she channelled the Queen of Pop, telling herself, “'OK, what would Madonna do?' Which is convince you that she deserves, you know, to be in this room, and I owned it. I was kind of like, ‘You can take it or leave it, but if you leave it, if I leave, then that’s on you.'”
As for who else is involved, the biopic is co-written and directed by Madonna herself, with early versions of the script reportedly developed alongside Diablo Cody and later Erin Cressida Wilson. So far, no other actors are attached to star.
What else do we know?
The film is expected to chart Madonna’s rise from Detroit outsider to global pop icon, with a focus on her creative ambition, and knack for reinvention.
“I want to 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,” Madonna said of the project when it was first announced in 2020.
While Universal Pictures was originally attached, the project was reportedly scrapped in early 2023. Still, Madonna hinted in mid-2024 that she was back at work on a new version of the script.
More recently, Deadline reported that Madonna is now developing a TV series version of her life story for Netflix, in collaboration with Shawn Levy. The outlet also reported that the series is unrelated to the film, and both will move forward.
When will it come out?
There’s no official release date yet. The film appears to still be in development, with no word on production timelines. But as Garner put it, “anything that’s great… takes a long time.” We'll keep you updated.
