Each year brings us more films about the lives of the most iconic people in the entertainment industry, with Bohemian Rhapsody sweeping the awards season earlier this year, and 2019 looks no different. At some point we'll be seeing Taron Egerton take on the role of Elton John in Starman, but that's not the only musical biopic on its way.
Later this year Renée Zellweger will be portraying Hollywood icon Judy Garland in the biopic Judy. Directed by stage director Rupert Goold and adapted from the musical End of the Rainbow by The Crown's Tom Edge, it'll be the first leading role for the actress we've seen since Bridget Jones' Baby in 2016.
The Oscar-winning actress will portray Garland one year before her death, which was a result of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 47. The star arrives in London to take part in a series of concerts at the Talk of the Town club (now known as the Hippodrome) in 1968.
You can watch the new trailer for Judy below:According to an interview with People Magazine, the actress took music lessons and studied Garland's choreography during the performances at the Talk of the Town. She also underwent two hours in hair and makeup each day so she could fully embody the look of the star, with various wigs, costumes, and contact lenses.
“It was such a joy learning about the magnificence of this person,” she said of the process. “I always admired her. She was so quick and so funny. She could hit the ball back with the best of them.”
We got our first glimpse of Zelwegger in the role last year, with this image of her on stage as Garland:
The official synopsis for the film is out to, describing what we can expect to see from "showbiz legend" in her biopic, set 30 years after The Wizard of Oz propelled her into superstardom:
“Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform in a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town. It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through.
"Even her dreams of romance seem undimmed as she embarks on a courtship with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband. And yet Judy is fragile. After working for 45 of her 47 years, she is exhausted; haunted by memories of a childhood lost to Hollywood; gripped by a desire to be back home with her kids. Will she have the strength to go on?”
The biopic also stars American Horror Story's Finn Wittrock as Mickey Deans (Garland's fifth husband), Michael Gambon as her manager Bernard Delfton, Rufus Sewell as third husband Sid Luft, Bella Ramsey as daughter Lorna, and Gemma-Leah Devereux as a young Liza Minnelli. Judy releases on September 27.
