In a stunning, if surreal first look, the trailer for the upcoming Judy Garland biopic Judy has finally seen release, offering up the first footage of Oscar-winner Renee Zellweger in the title role.
Judy follows the final days of the musical legend and gay icon as she begins a London concert engagement. Garland tries to stage one of her numerous comebacks to combat a string of nasty reviews, though drug addiction threatens to stifle her attempts. She ao begins her brief relationship with club promoter Mickey Deans, even while struggling with her feelings for ex-husband Sid Luft.
Related: You Make Us Love You: 5 things we want to see in the new ‘Judy’ biopic
Zellweger stages a prestige comeback of her own as she disappears under heavy make-up to embody Garland. Rufus Sewell and Finn Whitrock co-star as Sid Luft and Mickey Deans, respectively.
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Based on the acclaimed play End of the Rainbow, Judy is directed by Rupert Gold. The movie hits cinemas September 27.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Today very few people (especially younger) are aware of the amazing, iconic, incredible talent this woman possessed. Unfortunately she was taken advantage of by greedy management. Forced to perform when clearly she was in need of help from the grip of the addiction demons…
Search for the incredible performance of her singing “The Battle Hymm of the Republic” performed unannounced on her TV show as a tribute to President Kennedy shortly after his assination. The intensity and emotion of this epic performance is breathtaking.
She was a close friend of JFK and when he was stressed, he would telephone her and she would sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to him….
woodroad34
Who needs nuclear power when you had Judy Garland…so much *umph!* in such a tiny little package: https://youtu.be/a4j7hrgxogY
andy_d
Truth. One of my favorites.
re_horst
Beautifully said…
BlogShag
They don’t care. Many didn’t know who Josephine Baker was either
xanadude
Renee Zellweger?! Judy had those amazing eyes, why cast the squinty hactress to portray her? Ugh. I hope she changes my mind, but was never a fan of Renee’s. Judy deserves better.
russellhm
Perhaps her finest concert and the recording of it, “Judy Judy Judy at Carnegie Hall.” Concert. A few bare facts: Judy performed at Carnegie Hall on April 23rd, 1961, with Mort Lindsey conducting a 40-piece orchestra. After an instrumental overture, Judy sang 21 numbers — or 24 songs if you count the songs in the medleys separately — plus 4 encores. The concert was recorded for Capitol records and released as a double album, charted number one on Billboard for 13 weeks, and won 5 Grammys including “Best Female Vocal Performance” and “Album of the Year” — the first live concert album and the first one recorded by a woman to win such an honor. By all contemporary accounts, it was an artistic tour-de-force, with Judy at the top of her game and leaving her audience in a frenzy and clamoring for more. “Iconic” and “legendary” would not be at all hyperbolic to describe it. People who were lucky enough to be there still speak of it as a spiritual experience. Reviews were ecstatic. I knew all the songs except two: “You’re Nearer,” a Rodgers & Hart song from a Broadway show in the 30s and Noel Coward’s “If Love Were All,” and autobiographical song he wrote in 1929. Critics have dubbed it “the saddest song about loneliness ever written.” Rod McKuen agrees. And Judy’s version prevent dry eyes.
OzJosh
They’ve managed to make Zellweger look vaguely like Judy. But she sure doesn’t sound like her. And focusing on Garland’s final days just seems hugely exploitative. I fear this could well be deep into Mommie Dearest territory.
Hdtex
No.
BlogShag
With all due respect Renee sounds like bovine excrement compared to Judy’s natural talent