Looks Like That Madonna Biopic Isn’t Happening After All
Months after it seemed like a Madonna biography movie was finally moving forward, it all might be over.
Reports of a Madonna biopic have been swirling for years, and 2022 was the year the rumors became true. Now, just months after it seemed like the project was finally moving forward in a meaningful way, it all might be over before it really began.
According to a report from Variety, the Madonna biographical film is on pause, perhaps indefinitely. Multiple sources told the publication that the project is “no longer in development at Universal Pictures.”
While no one at the studio or in Madonna’s camp would comment publicly on the report, it seems that the singer’s upcoming tour may be responsible for derailing the film.
The superstar announced a career-retrospective global trek titled “Madonna: The Celebration Tour” earlier this month, and that is likely taking up most, if not all of her time.
Madonna was slated to direct the movie, which was going to tell the story of her life and her rise to the top of the charts. The script was initially helmed by Oscar and Tony winner Diablo Cody before Erin Cressida Wilson came in to do more work on it.
Oscar nominee Amy Pascal was on board to produce, with Madonna and her longtime manager and business partner Guy Oseary executive producing.
This past summer, the film began to feel more real than ever when Emmy-winning actress Julia Garner was revealed as the selected talent to portray Madonna.
She beat out a handful of artists who had been mentioned as potential winners of the race, including Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh, Euphoria star Alexa Demie, and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha.
A timeline for filming hadn’t been announced, but it’s not hard to understand how the kind of global tour Madonna is planning can get in the way of making a movie. The pop star is slated to hit the road beginning in July in Canada and perform dozens of shows throughout the world – hitting the U.S., England, France, Italy, Germany, and a number of others – until the trek concludes in December.
While it’s clear that the Madonna movie isn’t going to film in 2023, and chances are it won’t be put back into production mode for a while afterward, that doesn’t mean the project is dead.
The Variety article claims that insiders connected to the singer insist that she “remains committed to making a film about her life one day.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
