On a warm spring Saturday in Manhattan, Anne Hathaway and producer Jack Antonoff were locked in a studio, finishing a bold transformation: turning Hollywood’s sunny star into a dark-tinged pop diva for David Lowery’s new film Mother Mary. In the movie, Hathaway plays a global icon—somewhere between Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift—who abandons her tour to search for her true self with the help of an old friend.

Hathaway admitted she longed for the role, knowing it demanded more than acting—it required becoming a believable international pop star. That meant mastering fierce choreography, performing songs written by Antonoff and Charli XCX, and embracing raw vulnerability. “I had to show up as a beginner,” she said. “Every day knowing I wouldn’t be perfect, but that was the point. True transformation is never easy—but it’s precious.”