Julia Garner refuses to give up on Madonna biopic: ‘The movie has to get made’

Julia Garner says Madonna biopic remains unfinished as the actress reveals why she still believes in the film

Julia Garner is refusing to close the door on the Madonna biopic that was shelved by Universal Pictures in 2023. The actress, who was selected to portray Madonna after an intense audition process, has revealed that she still believes the long delayed project deserves to reach the screen.

Speaking to ELLE for its October 2026 issue, Garner addressed the repeated reports surrounding the film and acknowledged that its future remains uncertain. Still, she has not lost faith in the project.

"I think the movie has to get made," Garner said. "But we’ll see..."

The comment comes after years of uncertainty surrounding Madonna’s planned film about her own life. Universal Pictures announced the project in 2020, with Madonna attached to direct and co write the screenplay. The studio eventually stopped developing the film in January 2023, shortly after Madonna announced her career spanning Celebration Tour.

Garner had been chosen to play Madonna in 2022 after taking part in an extensive selection process that included singing and dancing preparation. According to Variety, actresses including Florence Pugh, Alexa Demie, Odessa Young and Bebe Rexha were among those considered before Garner secured the role.

The film had already gone through several versions of its screenplay. Diablo Cody worked with Madonna on an earlier draft, while Erin Cressida Wilson later took over writing duties. Madonna was also expected to direct the project herself, making the production especially personal for the singer.

Madonna later gave a clearer explanation of what happened. In a June 2026 interview with Interview, she said she spent two years working on the script and another two years at Universal with line producers dealing with budgeting and casting. She described a disagreement with the studio over the scale of the project and argued that her life story required a substantial budget.

Madonna also revealed that she explored making the project for a lower budget in Serbia, but that plan did not come together. She subsequently considered turning her story into a series, although that effort also failed to reach production. Variety reported in June that Netflix was developing an autobiographical series about Madonna, with Shawn Levy involved, but Garner is not attached to that version.

Despite the setbacks, Garner and Madonna have maintained a close relationship. The pair appeared together during Madonna’s Celebration Tour in Brooklyn in December 2023, and their professional connection continued when they filmed the second season of Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ comedy The Studio.

That series even plays with the real history of the abandoned project. The Studio features a fictionalised version of a Madonna biopic starring Garner, turning the long running Hollywood saga into part of its comedy. It was reported that the storyline imagines the project travelling to Venice for a major premiere, creating a fictional version of the film that never reached production in reality.

Garner has also previously expressed optimism about the project. In 2025, she said the movie was "supposed to still happen", keeping alive the possibility that Madonna’s long planned story could eventually find another route to the screen.

For now, there is no confirmed production date, studio announcement or release plan for the original film. Universal’s version remains shelved, while Netflix is pursuing a separate series project.