Anne Hathaway to Play Judy Garland on Stage and Screen

Anne Hathaway has signed on to play Judy Garland in stage and screen adaptations of Gerald Clarke’s 2001 biography Get Happy, according to Variety. The feature film and stage show will be produced by the Weinstein Co., which is already developing stage properties based on Finding Neverland, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat, Cinema Paradiso and Shall We Dance?

A Weinstein Co VP told Variety that it’s unclear which version of Garland’s story would be produced first, but that Hathaway’s commitment to the project has prompted strong interest from unnamed filmmakers, screenwriters and librettists. Although the stage version would be cheaper and faster to produce, some directors might be able to guide both versions, starting with a film.

Hathaway was recently announced as the star of the Public Theater’s 2009 Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night and took part in a reading of Promises Promises last fall. At this year’s Oscar ceremony, in which she was nominated for her leading performance in Rachel Getting Married, Hathaway joined host Hugh Jackman onstage to sing during a skit. Jackman knows a thing or two about Judy Garland, since he won a Tony playing her son-in-law Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz. Before finding success in films such as Get Smart, The Devil Wears Prada, Bride Wars and Brokeback Mountain, Hathaway starred in the 2002 Encores! production of Carnival.

No potential dates for Get Happy have been announced.