Anne Hathaway to play Judy Garland

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Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway is set to play her idol Judy Garland on stage and screen in an adaptation of a successful biography about the musical star.

Anne will star in film and musical adaptations of Gerald Clarke’s biography Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland.

The Devil Wears Prada star revealed her singing and dancing talents at the opening show for this year’s Oscars.

Anne, 26, performed a comical song and dance routine based on the film Frost/Nixon with host Hugh Jackman.

Clarke’s biography, released in 2000, was so successful that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein bought the rights to turn the book into a film and stage show.

Weinstein said he was ‘thrilled’ to have Anne in the lead role.

‘We are thrilled to have the brilliantly talented Anne Hathaway portray stage and screen legend Judy Garland. I have worked with Anne on projects in the past and have known her for many years. She will be a true class act in this challenging role,’ he said.

Anne was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in Rachel Getting Married, but lost out to Kate Winslet.

But if she pulls off her latest role, she could be in line for another Oscar nomination and a Tony award – the stage ‘Oscars’.

Judy Garland’s most famous role is that of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Although successful on screen, she suffered from several nervous breakdowns, failed marriages and had problems with drinking and drugs.

The tragic star, mother of singer Liza Minelli, died in 1969 at 47 from an accidental drug overdose.