'Judy' Trailer: The Renée Zellweger Oscar Campaign Begins Now

Get ready, Academy –  Renée Zellweger is gunning for that Best Actress Oscar. The actress stars as the legendary Judy Garland in Judy, a biopic that tracks Garland in the tumultuous later half of her career. Will Judy avoid the standard pitfalls and cliches of biopics? I really don't know. But I do know that Zellweger is going all-in on this performance, and will be sure to scoop up awards season love as a result. Watch the Judy trailer below.

What an odd trailer. A bulk of this new look at Judy seems almost comedic, with Zellweger's Judy Garland running in a tizzy around as up-tempo music blasts. Then it settles down into something a little more somber. I have no idea if that reflects the film itself, but this movie definitely has my attention Here's the synopsis:

Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town. 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 love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband. Featuring some of her best-known songs, the film celebrates the voice, the capacity for love, and the sheer pizzazz of "the world's greatest entertainer."

While there are flashes here and there of a younger Garland (played by Darci Shaw), the majority of the film looks to be focused on a specific time in Judy's life – and that's wise. Biopics that track their subjects from the cradle to the grave often suffer, and can never truly encompass the entire life and career of the person they're focused on. It's wiser to pick a specific point in time, and work from there (think Steven Spielberg's Lincoln).

In addition to Renée Zellweger, Judy stars Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon, with TV and theatre director Rupert Goold making his feature film debut behind the camera.

Judy takes the stage September 27, 2019.