Madonna biopic back in development after a year-and-a-half hiatus

Singer Shares Images That Indicate Project Is Resuming With Possible Script Rewrites

Development on a Madonna biopic has resumed, nearly a year and a half after it was reported that the project had been put on hold. The film, which will chronicle the singer’s long career, was originally set to be produced by Universal Pictures, but plans were shelved in January 2023.

Resumption of the project

In a new Instagram post on Tuesday (7/16), Madonna shared a collection of images of herself working on a typewriter, surrounded by papers. In one of the photos, you can see a potential title — “Who’s That Girl,” a reference to her song and the 1987 film of the same name — on the first page of a possible script. Another look at the script reveals “rewrites by Madonna and ECW,” apparently referring to screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson (“The Girl on the Train”), who joined the project after the departure of Diablo Cody (“Juno”). Amy Pascal (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) was originally set to produce the film.

Development challenges

When the project was shelved, a source told The Hollywood Reporter that development was always a challenge, with many drafts of the script exceeding 180 pages. There was talk of splitting the film into two parts or turning it into a miniseries, but those ideas never came to fruition. “You have 40 years of blockbusters and it’s very difficult to fit them into one movie,” the source said at the time.

Cast and direction

Madonna herself was considered to direct the biopic, which had Julia Garner (“Ozark”) as the leading candidate to play the legendary artist, after a lengthy audition process that included several stars – such as Florence Pugh (“Midsommar”), Odessa Young (“The Daughter”) and Alexa Demie (“Euphoria”). The hopefuls participated in intense choreography sessions, some lasting up to 11 hours, with Madonna’s choreographer and the artist herself.

It is currently unknown whether Universal is still involved in the project.

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Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.