Pop icon Madonna, aged 67, and actress Julia Garner, 32, were seen enjoying a picturesque gondola ride together in Venice, Italy, over the weekend. The pair are currently filming the second season of the AppleTV+ series The Studio in the romantic city, and they shared the spotlight for a stylish photo shoot aboard the country's iconic boats.
Glamorous Gondola Shoot on the Grand Canal
It remains unclear whether the shoot was directly related to The Studio production, but Madonna, known as The Queen of Pop, was certainly ready for her close-up. She sported a face full of makeup, including red lipstick on her plump pout, with her blonde hair parted down the middle and styled in face-framing ringlets that cascaded over her chest.
The stars coordinated their outfits in matching black and white horizontally striped shirts and black coats, complemented by blue jeans. They were flanked by a film crew as they shot on location along the famed Grand Canal, with assistants helping Madonna onto the boat.
Stylish Accessories and On-Set Moments
Garner accessorized with a wide-brimmed hat featuring red ribbon and trim, which she placed on her lap during some moments. Meanwhile, Madonna wore fingerless baby blue gloves and clutched a black designer handbag on her lap for certain shots. Her visage appeared taut, and she showcased her signature plump pout throughout the session.
Garner's platinum locks were styled in a side part with curls, adding to the coordinated aesthetic. The 67-year-old music icon and 32-year-old actress sat alongside each other in the gondola while working on the AppleTV+ series, marking Madonna's return to acting after a significant hiatus.
Madonna's Acting Comeback and Biopic Plans
This role on The Studio represents Madonna's return to the screen after nearly two decades. Her last major acting role was a voice part in the 2006 animated feature Arthur and the Invisibles, directed by Luc Besson. She previously won a Golden Globe for her starring role in the 1995 movie musical Evita, with her last live-action acting credit being a cameo in a 2003 episode of the sitcom Will & Grace.
Madonna teased her involvement in the upcoming project last week with an Instagram Stories photo of herself leafing through a script on a gondola, captioned 'The Italian Job.' The series, co-created and starring Seth Rogen as a stressed studio honcho, features a cast including Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Kathryn Hahn. Notably, comedy icon Catherine O'Hara, who passed away in January at age 71 after a battle with rectal cancer, was among the stars of the series.
Julia Garner's Upcoming Madonna Biopic
In a related development, Garner is set to portray Madonna in a long-awaited biopic about the star. She confirmed last September that the biopic is still in progress despite production delays, telling W Magazine, 'I can't say too much about it, but yes, it's a work in progress.'
Madonna has been persistent in her years-long effort to make a movie about her life. In 2023, she worked on a biopic initially titled Who's That Girl, a nod to her 1987 film and song, with Diablo Cody co-writing the screenplay under the working title Little Sparrow. However, the hitmaker shifted focus to her international Celebration tour before resuming work in 2024 with Erin Cressida Wilson, eyeing Garner for the lead role.
In November 2024, Madonna expressed frustration on Instagram about obstacles in bringing her film to life, writing, 'After struggling for days in LA, listening to producers and agents tell me why I couldn’t make my film, I realized that everything in my life is going to be challenged.' She noted she had been working on it for four years, with people urging her to 'downsize, down scale, think smaller,' but she emphasized her determination to think outside the box given her unconventional life.
Historical Context and Stardom
Madonna first achieved simultaneous cinema and music stardom in the 1980s while starring opposite Rosanna Arquette in the comedy Desperately Seeking Susan. Arquette recalled in a Guardian interview last year that the Michigan native 'exploded' into worldwide fame as a singer during the film's production in 1985, saying, 'It was pretty intense and overwhelming for her, but she handled it great. She wasn’t a global superstar yet. She became one while we were doing that.' Arquette added that seeing Madonna on the cover of Rolling Stone on set was a memorable 'Wow!' moment.
As filming continues in Venice, fans eagerly anticipate both The Studio's second season and the eventual Madonna biopic, with Garner poised to bring the pop legend's story to the big screen.
