Madonna has revealed that her long-gestating biopic was scrapped after she clashed with Universal Pictures over the film's budget. The pop star, who was set to direct the movie about her own life, told Interview magazine that the project fell apart due to financial disagreements.
Budget Dispute Led to Project's Demise
“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,” Madonna said. She proposed relocating production to Serbia to reduce costs, but the studio rejected the idea. “I found a way to make it for less money in Serbia, but I don’t think they were into the idea of – I don’t know. Maybe they just didn’t believe in me. One of their first reactions was: ‘We don’t believe you’d stay in Serbia more than four days.’”
Madonna countered, “I said, ‘Did you read the script?’ My whole life has been survival. I’m not going there for a holiday.”
Project History and Casting
The biopic was first announced in 2020, with Madonna planning to direct a script by Diablo Cody, known for Young Adult. “It’s essential to share the rollercoaster ride of my life with my voice and vision,” Madonna stated at the time. The project followed her criticism of a previous film called Blond Ambition, about her early career, which Universal had acquired in 2017. She had posted on Instagram, “Why would Universal Studios want to make a movie about me based on a script that is all lies???”
After a grueling casting process dubbed “Madonna bootcamp,” Julia Garner was cast in the lead role. However, reports emerged in 2023 that the movie, with the working title Who’s That Girl, had been scrapped.
Madonna's Filmmaking and Acting Background
Madonna has directed two feature films, both of which received one-star reviews from the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw: Filth and Wisdom, about a Ukrainian musician in London, and WE, about Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. She also has numerous acting credits, including Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy, Evita, and The Next Best Thing.
Netflix Series Also Stalled
In the same interview, Madonna revealed that a proposed Netflix series also failed to materialize due to Universal’s ownership of the script she wrote for the film. “Netflix reached out to make a series. That was a whole other long process, because I couldn’t use the script I had with Universal unless I bought it from them for an extortionist’s price, even though I wrote it … I started trying to understand how making a series would work. It’s a very, very different process. You have to meet a lot of writers and find the right showrunner, and I couldn’t find one.”
