Key Facts
Madonna has revealed that a falling out with Universal Pictures over budget killed her planned biopic. The pop icon spent two years writing the script and working on budgeting and casting before the project collapsed. Universal won a multi-studio auction in 2021 to produce the film, with Madonna set to co-write and direct. Screenwriters Diablo Cody and Erin Cressida Wilson were attached, and Julia Garner was cast as Madonna in 2022 after a highly publicized audition process.
Details of the Dispute
In an interview with Interview magazine, Madonna stated: 'We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget because I needed — I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget.' She attempted to reduce costs by proposing to shoot in Serbia, but Universal executives reportedly responded: 'We don’t believe you’d stay in Serbia more than four days.' Madonna countered, 'Did you read the script? My whole life has been survival. I’m not going there for a holiday.'
After the Universal deal fell apart, Netflix approached Madonna to develop a series. However, she could not use the script she wrote for Universal unless she bought it back at an 'extortionist’s price.' She spent another eight or nine months searching for a showrunner but could not find one. 'Good thing I have another job because I need to work, I need to create,' she said.
Impact and What Readers Should Know
The biopic would have chronicled Madonna's journey from her humble beginnings in Michigan to her artistic rise in New York City during the 1980s, leading up to her 1998 album 'Ray of Light.' While the Universal film is dead, a fictional version lives on in Apple's 'The Studio' Season 2, where Garner reprises her role as Madonna in a storyline set at the Venice Film Festival. Meanwhile, Netflix continues developing an autobiographical series with Shawn Levy, but Garner is not attached.
FAQ
- Why did Madonna's biopic with Universal Pictures fall through? Madonna says a falling out with Universal over budget killed the project. She needed a large budget due to her extraordinary life, but Universal couldn't agree.
- What was Madonna's plan to reduce the budget? She tried to find a way to make the film for less money in Serbia, but Universal doubted she would stay there more than four days.
- Is there still a Madonna biopic in development? Netflix is developing an autobiographical series about Madonna, but it is a separate project from the Universal film. Julia Garner is not attached to the Netflix version.