Julia Garner has given an ambiguous update on the long-delayed Madonna biopic, which has made little progress since its 2020 announcement.
During a recent interview with CBS, the actress was asked about the film’s status, to which she responded: “I don’t know. Every hour it changes, in a way.” “It’s not up to me. I would love for the movie to get made, obviously. But I also feel whatever happens, I made a great friend,” she continued. “I love Madonna. I think she’s incredible.”
The last update Garner gave on the biopic was in July 2025, when she guested on the “SmartLess” podcast and told hosts Will Arnett, Sean Hayes and Jason Bateman that she was still set to star as the seven-time Grammy winner in the film. “That’s supposed to still happen,” Garner said, adding that she’s “such a fan of Madonna” and that she “grew up listening” to her music. She also assured fans that “anything that’s great…takes a long time,” referring to the delayed film.
Back in 2023, Variety reported that the film had been scrapped ahead of Madonna’s world tour and would remain on pause indefinitely at Universal Pictures. Variety also exclusively reported that Garner landed the part in 2022 after a grueling process that included a full-on singing-and-dancing boot camp. Florence Pugh, Alexa Demie, Odessa Young and Bebe Rexha were also reported to have been in consideration for the role.
The pop icon herself was set to direct, while two different scripts were reportedly penned by Diablo Cody (their writing sessions were widely disseminated on social media) and Cressida Wilson.
Garner stars in Netflix’s “The Altrusists,” which tells the story of Sam Bankman-Fried (Anthony Boyle) and Caroline Ellison (Garner), “two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye — before they were accused of stealing $8 billion.” The eight-episode limited series hits the streamer on Nov. 19.
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