The first look at Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland is here, and we’re not in Chicago anymore

When actors are tasked with playing historical figures in biopics, makeup artists and costume designers bend over backward to make them resemble the person they’re portraying. Sometimes, the final looks are way off. Other times, the resemblance is so uncanny you’d think that the character rose from the dead to play themselves. Such is the case with Renée Zellweger, who looks just like Judy Garland in the first-look photo from upcoming biopic Judy.
In the shot, the Bridget Jones’s Diary star dons the late silver screen icon’s short, dark locks and sports a long, black dress embellished with floral details. And she appears with a microphone, presumably mid-performance.
According to Variety, Judy is set in the late 1960s, when Garland arrived in London to perform a string of sold-out concerts. It will dive deep into the behind-the-scenes issues with her management, courtship with soon-to-be fifth husband Mickey Deans, her relationship with fans, and her struggles with her declining health. The film will also feature her memorable hits like “Over the Rainbow.”
"Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform in a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town," the Judy synopsis reads. "It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through.
"Even her dreams of romance seem undimmed as she embarks on a courtship with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband. And yet Judy is fragile. After working for 45 of her 47 years, she is exhausted; haunted by memories of a childhood lost to Hollywood; gripped by a desire to be back home with her kids. Will she have the strength to go on?"
Without further ado, here’s Renée Zellweger as the legendary Judy Garland:
#JUDY starts principal photography in London today, starring Academy Award winner, Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland!#judygarland #reneezellweger #london #thetalkofthetown #jessiebuckley #finnwittrock #michaelgambon #rupertgoold #pathe #calamityfilms #bbcfilms #ingenious pic.twitter.com/VJAnMRuzKV
— Judy (@JudyGarlandFilm) March 19, 2018
Crazy, isn’t it? See, we’re definitely not in Chicago anymore.
Judy also stars Jessie Buckley (War and Peace), Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story), and Michael Gambon (Harry Potter), and is slated to be released later this year.