Madonna biopic scrapped despite years of work put into project
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd/Sipa US/Alamy Stock Photo
The new biopic on the legendary singer Madonna has been scrapped despite years of work being put into the project.
Madonna was set to follow in the shoes of other famous artists such as Elton John and Freddie Mercury in having a biopic about her life.
But according to a new report from Variety, the biopic has been scrapped as the 64-year-old prepares for a new world tour.
The much-anticipated biopic was set to star Ozark actor Julia Garner, with Madonna herself as the director.
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The film had been in development since 2020 with Universal Pictures and had the working title of Little Sparrow.
As with any good biopic, it was set to tell all part of Madonna's life, including a four-decade career spanning music, cinema and fashion.
Variety say that Universal Pictures put the project on ice after Madonna announced her new global tour last week.
The 35-city tour kicks out in North America on 15 July, and hit major destinations such as London, Paris and Barcelona, before finishing on 1 December in Amsterdam.
The film was set to feature Julia Garner, as the biopic created much frenzy online with its reportedly gruelling casting process.
The interview stage became known as 'Madonna Bootcamp', as 11 hours of choreography, readings and singing auditions took place in front of the 'Queen of Pop' and her casting director.
A second draft of the script was also apparently completed by Madonna and Erin Cressida Wilson, who is arguably best known for her screenwriting work on Secretary and The Girl on the Train.
But despite Universal Pictures shelving the film, sources have told Variety that Madonna still plans on making the biopic in the future.
Speaking to Variety last summer, Madonna said: "I have a very long script that is really hard for me to make shorter.
"I've been whittling away at it, but it’s like hacking off my limbs."
When asked why the biopic was a thing, Madonna added: "I’ve had an extraordinary life, I must make an extraordinary film.
"It was also a preemptive strike because a lot of people were trying to make movies about me. Mostly misogynistic men.
"So I put my foot in the door and said: 'No one’s going to tell my story, but me'."
UNILAD has contacted Madonna's reps for comment.