Julia Garner is still hopeful about playing Madonna in the much-anticipated biopic, despite the long wait. During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast, the Fantastic Four: First Steps star shared that the Madonna biopic is “supposed to still happen,” giving fans a glimmer of hope for the project.
How Julia Garner Got the Role
Garner, who is a huge fan of Madonna’s music, shared how she got involved in the project. The Ozark actress revealed that she had to audition for the role after hearing about the biopic.
“I just came about… like I knew they were doing a project, making a movie about it, and then I went out to audition,” Garner explained. “I kind of just wanted to see if I could do it.”
Learning to Dance for the Role
Garner isn’t a trained dancer, so she had to put in a lot of effort to prepare for the role, including learning how to dance. She even danced in front of Madonna herself as part of the audition process.
Garner mentioned that her preparation involved thinking, “What would Madonna do?” and embracing the confidence needed for such a big role. “I owned it,” she said, “I was like, ‘You can take it or leave it, but if you leave it, if I leave, then that’s on you.’”
The Biopic Is Still in the Works
Although the Madonna biopic has faced delays, Garner is still hopeful. “It’s still in the works,” she said. “Anything good takes a long time to bake.” She was first linked to the project in 2022 after her success in the Netflix series Inventing Anna. In June 2022, a source revealed that Garner was Madonna’s top choice to play her in the movie.
The Biopic’s Journey and Updates
In January 2023, Variety reported that Universal Pictures stopped developing the movie. However, Madonna and Garner remained in touch. In May 2023, they posed for a photo together at photographer Steven Klein’s birthday party, and in December 2023, Garner even joined Madonna onstage at a Brooklyn tour stop.
Madonna hasn’t given up on the biopic. In July 2024, she teased that the script was still being worked on and revealed the working title, “Who’s That Girl,” which is a reference to her 1987 film and song.
New Developments: Netflix Limited Series
In May 2025, Deadline reported that Madonna teamed up with Shawn Levy (known for directing Deadpool and Wolverine) to create a Netflix limited series about her life. Garner, who worked with Netflix on Ozark and Inventing Anna, is expected to be involved in the series.
Garner’s Latest Projects
Currently, Julia Garner is starring as the Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is now in theaters. Her upcoming film, Weapons, will be released on August 8.
