‘Judy’: Finn Wittrock, Jessie Buckley Join Garland Biopic Led By Zellweger

EXCLUSIVE: American Horror Story’s Finn Wittrock has been set to play Mickey Deans, the fifth husband of Judy Garland, in Judy, the true story of the singer and actress’ final concerts in London. Also joining the cast is Beast‘s Jessie Buckley as Rosalyn Wilder, the production assistant who looked after Garland during those performances. Renee Zellweger is playing the legendary singer/actress.

From Pathe and Calamity Films, Judy will be helmed by British stage director and Tony nominee Rupert Goold. The film is based on a script written by Tom Edge (The Crown) and will be produced by BAFTA winner David Livingstone (Pride) for Calamity. Pathé will distribute Judy in the UK, France and Switzerland and is handling sales throughout the rest of the world. It will screen footage for buyers in Cannes after shooting March-May.

Set in winter 1968, the story takes place 30 years after Garland played the iconic role of Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz. When she arrives in Swinging London to prepare for a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town, she battles with management, charms musicians and reminisces with friends and adoring fans. Even her dreams of romance seem undimmed as she embarks on a courtship with Deans. And yet Garland is fragile. After working for 45 of her 47 years, she is exhausted; haunted by memories of a childhood lost to Hollywood and gripped by a desire to be back home with her kids.

The film will feature some of Garland’s best-known songs, celebrating her voice, capacity for love and the pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer.” Zellweger notably showed off her pipes in 2002 musical Chicago, for which she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

Wittrock (The Big Short, American Horror Story) recently joined crime thriller Semper Fi opposite Jai Courtney and Nat Wolff with shooting this month. He is repped by CAA and Weissenbach Management Ltd. Buckley has appeared in Steven Knight and Tom Hardy’s FX/BBC series Taboo and stars in Michael Pearce’s Beast which made a splash in Toronto and will be released by 30WEST and Roadside Attractions on May 11 domestically. She’s next up in Tom Harper’s Country Music and is repped by CAA and Lindy King at United Agents in the UK.