Madonna has revealed that financial disagreements with Universal Pictures led to the collapse of her long-anticipated biopic, which was set to star Julia Garner. In an interview with Interview Magazine, the pop icon discussed the behind-the-scenes challenges that prevented the film from moving forward.
Budget Dispute Derails Project
Madonna explained that she spent two years writing the script and another two years at Universal handling budgeting and casting. However, the studio balked at the required budget. “I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget,” she said. “We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget.” She noted that she was not interested in making an indie-level production.
According to Madonna, Universal executives were skeptical. “They couldn’t get their heads around it,” she added. She proposed filming in Serbia to reduce costs, but the studio doubted her commitment. “One of their first reactions was, ‘We don’t believe you’d stay in Serbia more than four days.’ And I said, ‘Did you read the script?’”
Netflix Series Considered
After the project stalled, Netflix approached Madonna with an offer to turn her life story into a series. However, she could not use her original script unless she bought it back from Universal at an “extortionist’s price,” even though she wrote it. “That was a whole other long process,” she said. She spent eight or nine months searching for a showrunner but could not find one. “I was like, ‘Good thing I have another job because I need to work, I need to create.’”
Biopic History and Casting
Universal’s untitled Madonna biopic was first announced in 2020, with Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody attached as co-writer, later replaced by Erin Cressida Wilson. The project was shelved in 2023 without explanation. Several actresses were considered for the lead, including Florence Pugh, Odessa Young, Emma Laird, Alexa Demie, and Julia Garner. Garner told W Magazine last year that she was set to play Madonna in a project that is “a work in progress.”
Upcoming TV Appearance
While the biopic remains uncertain, Madonna is expected to appear in a two-episode arc of Apple TV’s “The Studio,” a Hollywood satire that will draw inspiration from the real-life collapse of her biopic. According to Variety, this will mark her first TV role in over two decades, following her 2003 cameo on “Will & Grace.”
