Madonna morphs into biopic star Julia Garner in wild “Confessions II” film teasing icon’s next chapter — with 15 celeb cameos

Key Points

• Madonna transforms into her upcoming self-directed biopic star Julia Garner in shocking Confessions II short film.

• 15 celebrities cameo in the project, including Sabrina Carpenter, Benedict Cumberbatch, and more.

• The film sets up Madonna’s next chapter ahead of her long-gestating biographical film about her life.

Madonna is certainly feeling the love sensation from the 15 celebrity cameos in her new Confessions II short film – including a scene in which the pop icon sets the stage for her next chapter and literally transforms into her upcoming self-directed biopic movie star Julia Garner.

Only the Queen of Pop could assemble a roster of stars this big, as Madonna recruited actors, athletes, and fellow pop stars alike to appear in Confessions II — The Film, a 13-minute teaser featuring the first six songs from her forthcoming album sequel to her 2005 dance-pop opus Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Directed by frequent Charli XCX directing duo Torso, the film (below) features 15 cameos, including the aforementioned Garner, Arca, Archie Madekwe, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cole Palmer, the legend’s longtime friend, Debi Mazar, Gwendoline Christie, Honey Dijon, João Pedro, Kate Moss, Odessa A’zion, Richard E. Grant, Shygirl, Madonna’s daughter, Lourdes Leon, and Confessions II lead single collaborator Sabrina Carpenter.

After Entertainment Weekly previously reported that Ozark actress Garner would play Madonna in the long-gestating biographical movie about the pop icon’s life, the Confessions II short film includes a scene in which Madonna walks into a darkened rave and wades into a crowd of dancers. As the lights flash, Julia Garner — sporting bright red lipstick and cropped platinum blonde hair to evoke Madonna’s ’80s style — turns to face the camera.

It marks the latest in a growing line of collaborations between Garner and Madonna, with the latter bringing the Emmy winner on stage with her during her Celebration Tour, and, as EW also previously reported, filming scenes with her for Seth Rogen’s upcoming The Studio season 2 — which filmed in Venice, the same Italian city where Madonna shot her “Like a Virgin” music video in 1984.

Confessions II — The Film might’ve also dropped a big clue about who else could star in Madonna’s feature-length biopic. While EW previously exclusively learned that Julia Fox met with Madonna to discuss playing Mazar, a key scene in the short film sees Marty Supreme actress A’zion hanging out in the nightclub bathroom alongside the many other famous faces. After a quick outfit change, Madonna struts past A’zion, who glares and sizes her up as she passes.

Since the scene was soundtracked by Confessions II album cut “Danceteria,” there’s reason to believe A’zion might be involved in the biopic in some capcity, given Madonna and Mazar famously met at the shuttered New York City nightclub that played an integral role in shaping the pop star’s early connection to nightlife.

EW has reached out to representatives for Madonna and A’zion for comment.

Madonna has been working on bringing her life story to audiences as a feature-length film for several years, with Universal Pictures and Amy Pascal announcing years ago that they would produce the project alongside Madonna, who’d direct. She wrote a first draft of the script with Oscar-winning Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody, whom EW previously confirmed finished a draft before moving on to other material. Erin Cressida Wilson stepped in after Cody’s departure.

Most of the film, Madonna has said in various since-deleted social media posts since Cody left, will follow her “struggle as an artist trying to survive in a man’s world as a woman, and really just the journey,” which she said was a “happy, sad, mad, crazy, good, bad, and ugly” story of the making of a legend.

In 2020, Madonna and Cody spoke online about fictionalizing Madonna’s rise through the entertainment industry in New York City, through writing “Like a Prayer,” filming Evita, and her connection with Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Xtravaganza of the Harlem ballroom scene, which played an instrumental part in the success of Madonna’s 1990 signature hit “Vogue.”

The short film also featured a scene in which Madonna is tracked down by a group of masked camerawomen in a desolate apartment. After being caught in their crosshairs, she transported to a mysterious forest where scantily-clad individuals can be seen sporting neon green lights that shoot out lasers of “every orifice,” Madonna later stated at the event.

Another sequence puts viewers in the singer’s shoes as she hastily swerves through traffic to get to the club. She almost makes it to the evening unscathed before abruptly colliding with another vehicle, leaving only a lipstick kiss on the airbag in her wake.

And, of course, there are plenty of Easter eggs, too. During the bathroom scene, Madonna can be seen handing over her demo to another individual, which she famously did to Danceteria DJ Mark Kamins. It includes a nod to Madonna’s “Deeper and Deeper” music video, with the masked camerawomen later seeen eating bananas as they watch the short film in a darkened hotel room. Her daughter, Lourdes Leon, then calls for the cameras to “cut, bitch.”

Confessions II is set to be Madonna’s first full-length album since 2019’s Madame X, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Madonna preceded the release of Confessions II with several preview tracks, including buzz tracks “I Feel So Free” and “Love Sensation,” as well as the Carpenter-assisted lead single “Bring Your Love,” which became Madonna’s first lead album single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2012’s “Give Me All Your Luvin’.”

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Confessions II is out July 3. Watch Madonna’s short film featuring a compilation of new songs from the album above.

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