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« Linkers Dozen | Main | Review: Netflix’s ‘Against the Ice’ »
Wednesday
Mar022022

Who's That Girl ...who will be playing Madonna?

by Nathaniel R

Garner, Ferreira, Sweeney, Leon, and Pugh

As we've known for some time Madonna is writing and directing her own biopic. It's inching closer to production with casting and audition rumors. Word has it that Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney and Sky Ferreira have auditioned for the leading role as well. Earlier rumors suggested the role was going to either Oscar nominee Florence Pugh or Emmy winner Julia Garner. Some online gossip suggested Lourdes Léon, Madonna's eldest, might even be in the mix though we think that's just the internet internetting...

We also know that Madonna has talked with Julia Fox (Uncut Gems) about the movie but this is a bit confusing. The internet seems convince that she's already set to play Debi Mazar but we highly doubt they'd cast a supporting role before a lead so maybe she's up for the leading role. 

Madonna hanging with Julia Fox very recently

Madonna and Debi Mazar on the set of the "Papa Don't Preach" video

Debi Mazar, famous in her own right, is a key figure in Madonna's early years. They were friends before Madonna reached superstardom -- Debi used to do her makeup -- and though the big M has burned through many celebrity friends over the decades, she and Mazar are still tight.

Who would you favour? We're so obsessed with Sydney Sweeney's gifts right now,  post White Lotus and Euphoria, that we're kind of hoping it swings her way. 

Meanwhile in an unrelated project, the Roku channel's Weird Al Yankovich biopic that Daniel Radcliffe is starring in, Evan Rachel Wood will be playing the Queen of Pop. They've already released a first look with Evan in full 80s BoyToy garb.

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Reader Comments (19)

As exhausted as I am with music biopics, I think Sydney Sweeney would be perfect for a Kylie Minogue one.
Julia Garner would be great for Madonna. I’m optimistic for a hot mess of a movie.

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterJames Birnie

ERW as Madonna.... now that is great casting as she's going to nail it. Especially in these legendary stories about her affair with Weird Al as she was supposedly overwhelmed by his weirdness. I know it's not a true story that they had an affair but... I agree with John Ford. Print the legend.

As for the Madonna bio-pic, why not have all 5 of those actresses play Madonna in her different periods?

March 2, 2022 | Registered Commenterthevoid99

"Madonna biopic written & directed by Madonna?" Serious actresses, stay away from this project. The best idea for these things is usually an unknown anyway, unless you're Judy Davis caliber.

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterFrank Zappa

Julia Garner, Florence Pugh or Sydney Sweeney would be awesome choices and thinking to Andrea Riseborough in W.E. it’s not impossible Lady Ciccone could have a good perf for her visual biography and production values could be competitive. Besides Madonna could be a very fleshed role for a young actress, even if everything will depend on the critical reception

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterMirko

Written and directed by Madonna herself? Sounds risky but it'd be interesting to watch. As much as I'm impressed by Sweeney, I think either Garner or Pugh fit the role better.

Also, Barbie Ferreira isn't the one who's rumored in the article. It's Sky Ferreira, who's a singer that kinda looks the part.

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterLucky

Any of these actresses will be way better than Madonna in any of her acting roles including Evita. She should count herself lucky.

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterJans

Madoonna is not going to be any kind of a movie a serious actress would want to portray.

March 2, 2022 | Registered Commenterrdf

Lucky -- lol. it just goes to show that i have Euphoria on the brain. fixed.

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

In an upset, Gigi Goode was cast.

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterG.Shaq

As much as I love Sydney Sweeney, I don't think she fits Madonna at all. She's way too soft n pretty (don't mean that as a read, but it's true).

I also don't think Florence is the right vibe, though she's a great actress.

Garner and Sky Ferreira have the right kind of look for this, though. I'm rooting for one of them.

March 2, 2022 | Registered CommenterPhilip H.

Pugh would be winning an Oscar, playing her. Like, for real.

Irony being, Madonna should have had several nominations for Oscar but always got "almost there", not only for songwritting but she probably deserved noms for Supporting Actress for "Desperately Seeking Susan" - stealing the film in her scenes, admittedly almost playing herself! - and obviously, "Evita" for which she won the Golden Globe. But her career has been so full of cinematic misses, that she probably will never have an Honorary Oscar, and maybe some role she may get, in the future, may land her a nomination, but hardly a win.

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterJésus Alonso

I haven't been excited for anything Madonna has done in the last 15 years and this project just sounds wrong if she directs it,I'm growing a bit tired of these music biopics,do we really need them,not one of them has told me anything about the person I didn't know from books and the internet. .

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterMr Ripley79

I always thought Madonna would’ve slayed the Julianne Moore role in A Single Man…that kind of stylized, affected film/role would have suited her.

Now I’m afraid she’d be too distracting in any film she appeared in…the Madonna of 2009 was quite different than what she’s serving these days.

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterDK

DK -- good call on A Single Man. Yes, I love Madonna forever but she's definitely gone the route of Dolly Parton in terms of too much plastic surgery to play roles other than "superstar self"

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

Julianne's scenes in that movie are shot not-unlike a music video so it'd be right up her alley. And the glamorous self-pitying f*g hag is VERY Madonna, the English accent...that could've been a Jane Fonda in Youth moment.

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterDK

The obvious choice is Florence Pugh, who is a really great actress who has the right kind of spunk to be able to pull off Madonna. Of all the contenders, I'd think she'd do the best at pulling off the superstar fame years, where all the others might be better at the rise to fame stuff. There's something shrewd about Florence that I appreciate, and her scene in the art studio (?) in Little Women proves it.

I do think Sydney could be interesting. If she were able to pull something like this off it would be major, since I have a hard time seeing her do it.

I'm a little uncertain about Madonna writing this. She has been a reflective person in the past, especially when thinking about her childhood and moving through stages of her life, but I'd rather someone else write it, with heavy input from her. I also want to know what the time period is. I have a lot of doubts that most of these (very young) actresses can pull off Madonna's Ray of Light/motherhood moment.

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterJoe G.

Julia Garner can act and she has the right look. But can she dance and sing? One imagines that might be key in this casting. Can Florence Pugh dance and sing?

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterCash

Isn't Julia Garner too famous right now? Not sure Madonna would like that.

March 3, 2022 | Registered CommenterPeggy Sue

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May 20, 2022 | Registered CommenterJohn Fazio
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