Julia Garner still cannot say whether the Madonna biopic she was chosen to lead in 2022 will ever be made.
The actress, 32, discussed the project’s uncertain future with Anthony Mason during her November 8 appearance on CBS Sunday Morning.
Madonna, 68, had planned to co-write and direct the story of her own life. The feature has yet to be filmed.
Garner was speaking ahead of The Altruists, in which she plays former cryptocurrency executive Caroline Ellison. The eight-episode series about Ellison and Sam Bankman-Fried arrives on Netflix on November 19.
Garner Says the Decision Is Out of Her Hands
“Every hour it changes in a way,” Garner told Mason. “It’s not up to me. I would love for the movie to get made, obviously,” she added. Whatever happens, she values the friendship she has developed with Madonna and credits the singer with teaching her a great deal about working.
That education began with a demanding audition process requiring her to sing, dance and act as the pop star. Garner had no professional dance training, making that part of the preparation a particular challenge.
The conversation also offered a glimpse of how she approaches portraying other people. Garner said she studies photographs closely, sometimes covering half a person’s face so she can concentrate on the eyes while developing a character.
Madonna Described Budget and Screenplay Problems Behind the Delays
The movie was announced in 2020, but Universal Pictures stopped developing it in January 2023 as Madonna turned her attention to the Celebration Tour.
In a conversation with Mel Ottenberg published by Interview in June, Madonna described a disagreement over the scale of the production. She said she had spent two years on the screenplay and two working with Universal on budgeting and casting, only to reach an impasse over financing.
She proposed filming in Serbia to reduce costs, but said the studio remained unconvinced. When Netflix later approached her about a series, she encountered another obstacle. She said using the existing screenplay would require buying it back from Universal at a price she considered excessive. Variety reported in June that Garner was not attached to the Netflix version.
Madonna also described spending eight or nine months searching for a suitable writer and showrunner. During that wait, she began making Confessions II with Stuart Price. She eventually found a writer she liked, but said the album was already more than three-quarters finished, so she chose to continue with the music.
Garner Joined Madonna Onstage During the Celebration Tour
On December 14, 2023, Garner appeared beside Madonna at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center during the ballroom segment of “Vogue.” Wearing black lace and pearls, she helped judge dancers performing on the runway.
Madonna’s daughter Estere was among the performers, and Garner hugged her during the segment. The singer thanked Garner for joining her before the actress left the stage.
Their working relationship also took them to Venice for the upcoming second season of The Studio. In a profile published by ELLE in September, Garner described spending time with Madonna and discovering how funny she was. For the comedy series, they played fictionalized versions of themselves in a storyline involving a Madonna biopic.
The Pair Reunited for Madonna’s 2026 VMAs Performance
Garner joined Madonna again at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 27 at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater. The opening performance began with Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter singing “Bring Your Love.” Charli XCX then joined her for “Danceteria Afterhours” as the stage became a nightclub bathroom.
Garner appeared in that sequence with Debi Mazar, wearing a black bodysuit and tall boots. Seth Rogen and Sombr were among the other celebrity guests, as Us Weekly documented.
Earlier in the summer, Garner appeared in Confessions II: The Film, Madonna’s short musical production directed by TORSO and released on YouTube in June. Its cast also included Carpenter, Kate Moss and Benedict Cumberbatch.