Madonna: Why are the two tumultuous biopics about the music icon cancelled?

By Violaine Schütz.

Published on 4 September 2025. Updated on 24 June 2026.

We were thrilled about it. Two biopics about one of the greatest pop stars had been in the works for quite some time. The provocative Madonna, 66, was supposed to direct a “visual autobiography” produced by Universal Pictures. Three years ago, she announced that she had started working on the screenplay for that project.

In an interview with Variety, the American singer declared that she was determined to direct it herself: “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.'”

With the vehemence that characterises her, she added on social media in 2023: “Nobody knows what I know and what I have seen. Only I can tell my story. Anyone else who tries is a charlatan and a fool looking for instant gratification without doing the work.”

Two biopics about Madonna cancelled

However, in a surprising turn of events, Madonna recently told Interview Magazine that the project is no longer moving forward. “I was supposed to make a movie about my life. I worked on my script for two years and spent two years at Universal Studios with the line producers doing budgeting and casting. We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget. I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget,” she declared.

She continued: “They just couldn’t get their heads around it. 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.’ And I said, ‘Did you read the script?’ My whole life has been survival. I’m not going there for a holiday.”

Why the sudden change of heart?

The same fate befell the television series project that was supposed to be developed by Netflix, also based on her life. “I was in limbo when everything fell apart. 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 … Don’t ask me why. That’s just how it works,” Madonna told Interview.

“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. This went on for another eight or nine months. I was like, ‘Good thing I have another job because I need to work, I need to create. I need to do what I was put on this earth to do,” the pop queen added.

Multiple changes behind the scenes

Except that in 2023, Variety revealed the project had been put on hold. The media described it as being on “an extended holiday.” Indeed, as the singer was preparing The Celebration Tour from October 2023 to May 2024, she had little time to devote to anything else.

Titled Who’s That Girl as a nod to the 1987 comedy in which the artist starred, the biopic has gone through many ups and downs. At first, Madonna was meant to be supported by screenwriterErin Cressida Wilson (Fur, Chloe, Secretary). The very rock’n’roll Diablo Cody, who won an Oscar for Juno (2007), had even helped draft the first version of the script. But it was ultimately abandoned, and it was unclear who was in charge of the film. Yet, some good news unexpectedly came up this summer… According to actress Julia Garner, who might play Madonna on screen, the project is still alive.

Actress Julia Garner was set to portray Madonna

Singers Sky Ferreira and Bebe Rexha reportedly auditioned to embody Madonna. Sydney Sweeney and Barbie Ferreira, both known for their roles in the series Euphoria, were also considered by the production team and the Material Girl herself. According to several American media, the singer of Like a Virgin even contemplated giving the lead role to British actress Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Black Widow). In short, all of Hollywood seemed eager to land a part in this highly anticipated biopic.

But in the end, Julia Garner (Inventing Anna, Ozark, The Fantastic Four) and her uncanny resemblance to a young Madonna, won the race. She apparently received both the producers’ and Madonna’s approval. Despite the multiple changes behind the scenes, the actress is still considered as the top choice to embody the pop star in this project. She has even been taking singing and dancing lessons to channel a convincing version of the star.

The singer also reportedly met with Julia Fox to discuss the role of Debi Mazar — the actress and former best friend of Madonna. The casting choice fuelled even more buzz around the film, given that the Uncut Gems star continues to draw attention with each of her appearances, especially during fashion shows. However, Julia Fox admitted in an interview that she was worried about the delays in production and wondered if she might be too old to play the young Debi Mazar.

The life of the pop icon told in a Netflix series

While waiting for the feature film starring Julia Garner and, hopefully, Julia Fox, to come out, another biopic about Madonna is being developed by Netflix. For this new series project, Madonna is collaborating with director Shawn Levy. The latter directed the Marvel blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, the second highest-grossing film worldwide in 2024. That same year, he was credited as an executive producer on the miniseries The Perfect Couple with Nicole Kidman too.

One can already imagine that the biopic series will be packed with spectacular scenes, since Madonna’s life has been peppered with multiple scandals. From shocking the Vatican and releasing a pornographic book to the lesbian kiss on prime-time television, she has never stopped defending the freedom of both her body and spirit throughout her career. Finding an actress with enough charisma to slip into Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic cone bra will be key. Unfortunately, that project now appears to be off the table. The only silver lining? We’ll get to see the singer and Julia Garner revisit those abandoned biopics in the next season of The Studio.

The Netflix biopic series by Shawn Levy and the film Who’s That Girl are no longer in development.