The first news of the Judy Garland biopic Get Happy surfaced back in 2009, when Harvey Weinstein announced Anne Hathaway was attached to play the winsome leading lady with a troubled private life. Based on the biography penned by Gerald Clarke, the drama promised, “a fascinating and comprehensive look at Garland’s life,” as it sourced some of the Wizard of Oz star’s own writings. However, little has been heard about this proposed project since then.
Bleeding Cool reports Hathaway is still looking to take on the larger than life role, saying to BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, “I’m hoping in the next two years to start production on a project about the life of Judy Garland and in that one I’m going to have to age, go from quite young to quite old… I had a meeting on it a couple of weeks ago and we’re all very motivated. It’s just it’s a very sensitive project and there have been so many stories told about her life that we’re really trying to get it right and so we’re taking our time with it. I know it seems sort of an endless process but it’s very very slow incremental steps!”
While this may seem like much ado about nothing as the film seems to be spinning its wheels in development, it’s a potentially positive sign that so much consideration is being put into this adaptation. As Hathaway herself recognizes, the stakes are high as Garland—and her voice—are much adored. When asked if she will try to take on Garland’s signature singing style, Hathaway demurred, “I certainly don’t sing like Judy Garland but the talk is to have me do the singing but I think people might cry bloody murder if they don’t get to hear their – if we don’t get to hear Judy’s beloved voice. The talk is for me to sing but I don’t know if that’s exactly going to happen.”
While I can see her point, it seems a shame to cast Hathaway and not let her have a go. I mean, she’s unabashedly charming and she can sing:
The girl’s got pipes! (Jump to 4 minute mark at the link.)
Would you like to see Hathaway sing or lip-sync in Get Happy?