The film about Hollywood starlet Judy Garland focusses on the latter part of her career in 1968, just one year before her untimely death from a drug overdose.
MENA film distributors Empire Entertainment and Front Row Filmed Entertainment are partnering up to bring Judy Garland’s biopic Judy to cinemas on December 12, 2019 in the Middle East.
Judy marks a big screen comeback for Academy Award winner Renee Zellweger, best known for the Bridget Jones movies.
Zellweger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Cold Mountain in 2003 starring alongside Nicole Kidman and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Having also been nominated for Bridget Jones’s Diary and Chicago in 2002 and 2003 respectively, Zellweger is tipped for a fourth Oscar nomination with Judy.
Judy premiered in September at the Toronto International Film Festival to a three-minute standing ovation. The film about Hollywood starlet Judy Garland focusses on the latter part of her career as she performs sold-out concerts at London’s famous Talk of The Town nightclub in the winter of 1968, just one year before her untimely accidental death from a drug overdose. The film also stars Rufus Sewell, Jesse Buckley and Finn Wittrock. Leading British theatre director Rupert Goold has directed the film.
Garland, the mother of actress and singer Liza Minnelli, began her Hollywood career as a child actor in the iconic MGM musical fantasy The Wizard of Oz. Garland also starred in classics such as the 1954 version of A Star is Born and Meet Me in St. Louis.
Following a wider-scale release, the film has so far garnered $23,000,000 in the US box office. The UK release has also tallied $10,275,000 to date.
Commenting on the release, Front Row CEO Gianluca Chacra said: “We’re really excited to be co-releasing Judy with Empire. We’re right in the awards window now and we feel strongly that Renee will get some wins in some of the major ceremonies such as the Golden Globes and Oscars and we want to ride that momentum. With recent successes for films like A Star is Born, Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody, there’s definitely a thirst and a trend for music films and biopics. It’s a perfect time for audiences to learn more about such an amazing woman and the legacy she’s left behind.”
Empire Entertainment President Mario Haddad Jr. added: “The movie is a gem! Renee’s remarkable history as an actress combined with the legendary story of Judy Garland made the movie a winning project that we had to take on. Along with Front Row, we believe that quality movies have their place theatrically and we are confident that Judy will touch the hearts of many. With the Awards around the corner, excitement is building up! We truly hope Renee gets the recognition she deserves.”
