Material girls: 10 actresses who could play Madonna in upcoming biopic – from Florence Pugh to Paris Jackson

Madonna’s on the hunt for the actress to play her in a self-penned film about her early life

Emmy-winning actress Anne Winters (left) and 'Euphoria' star Sydney Sweeney (right) are just two of our choices to play Madonna in the material girl's self-penned upcoming biopic. AFP, Instagram

With celebrity biopics all the rage thanks to the success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, which brought the larger-than-life antics of Freddie Mercury and Elton John to the big screen, Madonna is the latest star to get the biography treatment.

With previous attempts to bring the True Blue singer's life to the cinema having failed, including 2017's Blonde Ambition which the star opposed and was subsequently scrapped, Madonna is co-writing the script herself in a bid to retain artistic control.

“I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer – a human being, trying to make her way in this world,” Madonna said of the biopic. “The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the rollercoaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”

Co-writing with the Oscar-winning writer of Juno, Diablo Cody, the 62-year-old singer, actress and director has been sharing their writing process on Instagram, with Cody revealing the "insane" script had reached 133 pages, noting: "That's a big script." Madonna in turn replied: "It's a big life!"

With the famous perfectionist taking control of all aspects of production, the Vogue star is also on the hunt for the perfect actress to play her in her younger years. While British actress Florence Pugh has recently emerged as the frontrunner, we've picked 10 actresses we think would be able to strike a pose Madonna would be proud of.

Florence Pugh, 25

The Midsommar actress is said to be Madonna's current number one choice. "The bosses who are helping put the movie together want Florence and nobody doubts that she could be amazing," reported The Mirror.

Kathryn Newton, 23

Having started her career at the tender age of 4, you'll no doubt have seen Newton on screen at some point. Supernatural fans will recognise her as Claire Novak, while drama fans will know her as Big Little Lies' Abigail Carlson. She's also proved she can more than hold her own opposite big stars, alongside Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher.

Julia Garner, 26

Having won critical acclaim for her role of Ruth Langmore in Ozark, the American actress is currently filming Inventing Anna, in which she portrays another real person, Anna Delvey, the convicted con artist who pretended to be a German heiress to defraud businesses and wealthy people in New York. Adding to the speculation Garner might be the one, Madonna and her long-term manager and business partner, Guy Oseary, both recently started following her on Instagram.

Anne Winters, 26

No other actress seems to want the role as much as 13 Reasons Why star Anne Winters. The Emmy-winning actress has even taken to Instagram to share images of her dressed in some of Madonna's most famous looks, writing: "Blow up @Madonna Instagram guys — I wanna play her in her new biopic."

Chloe Grace Moretz, 23

Having succeeded in making the difficult transition from child star to one of Hollywood's go-to young actresses, Moretz has already shown the kind of chops Madonna admires. She's also shown great range in her career, from horror in the Carrie remake, to action as Hit Girl in Kick-Ass, and comedy in Neighbours 2: Sorority Rising.

Kiernan Shipka, 20

Another child star who made a seamless transition into more adult roles, and also became a fashion darling along the way, is Mad Men's Kiernan Shipka. Starting her career as Sally Draper in the award-winning show, she went on to take the lead in Netflix's darker take on Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Sydney Sweeney, 23

She might only be in her early twenties, but the Washington native boasts a CV that actresses twice her age would envy. Currently starring as Cassie Howard in HBO's Euphoria, she's also appeared in leading roles in critically acclaimed shows The Handmaid's Tale and Sharp Objects, and in Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.

Paris Jackson, 22

Although she started out as a model, the late Michael Jackson's striking daughter moved into acting, appearing as Rachel Wells in US TV show Star, and as Becky in Scream: The TV Series. "Madonna is a big fan of Paris," reports the Daily Mirror.

Cara Delevingne, 28

She might be on the older side to play early Madonna, who famously arrived in New York aged 20 with just $35 in her pocket, but she has the Live To Tell star's eyebrows down pat already. She also showed her acting skills as the brave and wily Vignette Stonemoss in TV show Carnival Row.

AnnaSophia Robb, 27

The Colorado-born actress first hit Hollywood radars as young Carrie Bradshaw in The Carrie Diaries, and since then her career has gone from strength to strength. She's also acted alongside some of the industry's most acclaimed stars, including Patricia Arquette in The Act and as the younger version of Reese Witherspoon's character Elena Richardson in Little Fires Everywhere.

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