A new image has surfaced of Renée Zellweger as show business icon Judy Garland for the upcoming film Judy.
The biopic, a Pathé and BBC Films project, is set to chronicle Garland’s final concerts in London during the winter of 1968, shortly before her death at the age of 47. British stage director Rupert Goold is helming the film from a script by Tom Edge (The Crown).
The photo, released Monday to mark the start of principal photography, shows Zellweger dressed in a floral embellished gown and a microphone in her hand.
#JUDY starts principal photography in London today, starring Academy Award winner, Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland!#judygarland #reneezellweger #london #thetalkofthetown #jessiebuckley #finnwittrock #michaelgambon #rupertgoold #pathe #calamityfilms #bbcfilms #ingenious pic.twitter.com/VJAnMRuzKV
— Judy (@JudyGarlandFilm) March 19, 2018
Here's your first look at Renée Zellweger as showbiz legend Judy Garland - follow @JudyGarlandFilm for updates on Judy, now in production! https://t.co/zXBnLjThaA
— BBC Films (@BBCFilms) March 19, 2018
An official synopsis for the film reads: “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?”
According to producers, Judy will feature many of Garland’s most beloved songs. Zellweger, who earned an Oscar nomination when she showed her vocal chops on-screen as Roxie Hart in Chicago, will costar with Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story), Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones), Jessie Buckley (War and Peace), and Gemma-Leah Devereux (The Tudors).
