American actress Julia Garner, best known for her roles in the Netflix series Ozark and Reinventing Anna, has been offered the lead role in an upcoming Madonna biopic, Variety reports, citing sources close to Universal Pictures. The biopic will tell about the young years of the pop diva, and Madonna herself will act as its director.

One insider reported that Garner was the front-runner in a selection of more than a dozen candidates, and for several months various sources named her as the most likely candidate for the role. Another source said that Garner’s team is considering and will likely soon accept the offer and officially enter into an agreement with Universal Pictures, which will take over the production of the film.

The head of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Donna Langley, who previously hailed Madonna as “an exceptional icon, humanitarian, artist and rebel,” pulled out the victory in a bitter rivalry between several studios, with Amy Pascal announced as an executive producer.

Previous contenders for the role included Florence Pugh (Katherine in Lady Macbeth and Yelena Belova in Black Widow), Euphoria star Alexa Demi and Odessa Young. Singers were also involved, notably Bebe Rexha and Sky Ferreira. The audition process was reportedly grueling, as a heavy musical production requires a skilled singer and dancer.

So far, the project is at an early stage of production – the casting is currently ongoing. The filming start date and release date of the film is unknown.