Julia Garner is evolving into a living embodiment of Material Girl glamour. The seasoned actress from "Ozark" has affirmed her role in an upcoming biopic about Madonna, revealing that the venture is still in its nascent stages of development. In a video released by W Magazine on September 3, Julia cautiously shared, "I can't divulge much about it just yet," but she affirmed, "yes, it's a work very much in progress."
The "Weapons" star remained tight-lipped about the film's narrative, casting details, or release date. However, she convincingly demonstrated her meticulous preparation by enumerating several of Madonna's timeless hits among her favorite tunes. "Oh my god, I have so many," Julia enthused. "I adore 'Borderline'; it's probably my all-time favorite. 'Papa Don't Preach' resonates deeply with me. 'Burning Up' gets me every time. 'Confessions on the Dance Floor' was an album I grew up with. And of course, who can forget 'Vogue' and 'Ray of Light'?" While jokingly confessing her love for "all of Madonna, basically," the 31-year-old emphasized that 'Borderline' from 1983 and 'Papa Don't Preach' from 1986 hold a special place at the pinnacle of her playlist. "There's something incredibly emotional in Madonna's voice on 'Papa Don't Preach,'" she elaborated. "The song brims with emotion, and I absolutely love that."
Julia's dedication to embodying Madonna extends far beyond merely immersing herself in the singer's music. Madonna, who is co-writing and serving as an executive producer for the film, put Julia through a rigorous audition process. In July, the "Inventing Anna" actress recounted the challenging journey to secure the role on an episode of the Smartless podcast. "I wanted to see if I could pull it off," Julia admitted. "I wasn't a trained dancer, so I had to learn from scratch and then perform in front of her, convincing her that I could dance and sing—and sing alongside her!" To navigate the daunting experience, Julia asked herself, "OK, what would Madonna do?" Believing the answer would be to "convince everyone she deserved to be there," Julia embraced the challenge wholeheartedly. "I adopted an attitude of, 'You can take it or leave it, but if you leave it, it's on you,'" she added.
As for Madonna, the iconic "Like a Prayer" singer had previously offered a glimpse into her work on the project. In July 2024, she posted on Instagram, "I Need A-lot of Bandz to make this…………OKAY," accompanied by snapshots of her penning the screenplay. "Story of my life," she joked.
