Bright young thing Anne Hathaway (who has more than adequately made the leap from child actor to fully fledged movie star) has been taking to BBC Radio 4 programme Front Row about her plans for the Judy Garland biopic she’s involved with.
Her name has been mentioned as far back as early 2009 in regards to the adaptation of Gerald Clarke‘s Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland, which has a home with The Weinstein Company. Hathaway is still very much involved, and appears to be intent on ensuring that the actress and singer’s life story is told properly – a decision which is creating a prolonged development process.
“We’ve taking our time with it. I know it seems like it’s sort of an endless process but it’s very, very slow incremental steps. I had a meeting about it a couple of weeks ago and we’re all very motivated.”
Hathaway is also concerned and uncertain as to how to tackle the musical aspect of the production and appease Garland fans.
“I certainly don’t sing like Judy Garland but the talk is to have me do the singing. But I think people might cry murder if they don’t get to hear Judy’s beloved voice so the talk is for me to sing but I don’t know if that’s exactly what will happen.”
This is obviously a major part of inhabiting the character, but Johnny Cash fans were able to get behind Joaquin Phoenix’s vocal interpretation, and Garland fans may be equally accommodating towards Hathaway.
Garland certainly lived a life worthy of receiving the biopic treatment (the obligatory high and lows of fame, five husbands and an accidental drug overdose at the relatively young age of 47) and it will be worth the wait to see what a quality actress like Hathaway can do with the material.
I can see the Oscar nom already.
Transcription courtesy of Indiewire.
