Madonna Says She Clashed with Universal Over Her Biopic, Explaining She Needed a Larger Budget to Tell the Story of Her “Extraordinary Life”
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Julia Garner was originally chosen to portray Madonna in 2022, but the biopic’s development was put on hold in January 2023.
Madonna has opened up about an alleged disagreement with Universal Studios regarding her planned biographical film.
In a cover interview with Interview Magazine published Monday, June 22, the 67-year-old pop icon discussed the fate of her long-awaited biopic, which reportedly stopped moving forward in January 2023.
Madonna explained that she spent years developing the project, including writing the screenplay and working with Universal Studios on production planning, budgeting, and casting.
“I was supposed to make a movie about my life,” she shared, adding that the project eventually hit a roadblock after disagreements over the film’s financial requirements.
The singer said the conflict with Universal centered on the budget, explaining that her extraordinary life story required a larger-scale production.
Madonna claimed the studio struggled to understand the level of funding she believed was necessary. She said she later explored creating the film in Serbia at a lower cost, but felt the studio questioned her commitment to the location.
She recalled being told that there were doubts she would remain in Serbia for an extended period, but Madonna responded that her life had always involved challenges and perseverance, not luxury or leisure.
After the biopic collapsed, Madonna said she was left uncertain about the project’s future. She revealed that Netflix later approached her about turning the story into a series, though the process became complicated.
Madonna explained that she was unable to use the screenplay she created for Universal without purchasing the rights back at what she described as an unreasonable cost, despite having written the material herself.
As she explored the possibility of making a series, Madonna discovered that television production involved a very different approach compared with a feature film. She said the process required finding writers and a showrunner, which took several months and ultimately led her to refocus her energy on music, including her upcoming project Confessions II.
Reports in January 2023 stated that Universal Pictures had stopped developing the Madonna biopic. Julia Garner had been connected to the role of Madonna since 2022 and was reportedly the singer’s preferred choice to portray her.
Despite the film being shelved, Madonna and Garner maintained a friendship. The two were seen together at filmmaker Steven Klein’s birthday celebration in 2023, and Garner later joined Madonna onstage during a Brooklyn performance. Garner also appeared in one of Madonna’s short films and in the music video for “Bring Your Love.”