Madonna reveals why her biopic collapsed after years in development
Speaking to Interview Magazine, Madonna explained how disagreements with Universal Pictures derailed the film
By Callum Wells
Madonna has opened up about the collapse of her long-running Universal biopic, revealing that a dispute over the budget brought the project to a halt.
The singer spent years developing the film, which she planned to direct herself. Universal first announced the project in 2020, with Madonna saying she wanted to tell her own story after several unauthorised attempts had been made to bring her life to the screen.
Oscar-winning Juno writer Diablo Cody worked with the Queen of Pop on an early draft before departing. Secretary screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson later joined the project, with Madonna ultimately completing the screenplay herself.
“We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget” – Madonna on the collapse of Who’s That Girl
Speaking to Interview Magazine, Madonna said disagreements with the studio eventually derailed the film.
“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 because I needed-I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget. You know what I mean?”
The project, which Madonna later revealed had the working title Who’s That Girl, was set to star Julia Garner. Garner emerged from an extensive audition process involving singing and dancing boot camps attended by several high-profile performers.
Madonna then explored turning the story into a television series. However, she said ownership of the original screenplay created further problems.
Madonna’s life story is still heading to the screen
“I was in limbo when that fell apart, and then 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. 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.””
Despite those setbacks, Madonna’s life story is still heading to the screen.
In May 2025, reports emerged that the singer had teamed up with Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker Shawn Levy on a new limited series for Netflix. The project is separate from the abandoned Universal film and remains in early development. Details, including which period of Madonna’s life it will focus on, have yet to be announced, though Julia Garner is reportedly still being considered for the lead role.