No shortcuts! Madonna is working hard on her biopic, and she’s making sure every single detail is up to her standards, an insider exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
“This biopic means the world to her,” the source says of the pop icon, 63. “She’s throwing her heart and soul into it and is determined to make the project as successful as Elton John did with Rocketman.”
The “Like a Prayer” songstress confirmed in 2020 that she is cowriting and directing the film about her life, which is still in the early stages of production. “The reason I’m doing it is because a bunch of people have tried to write movies about me, but they’re always men,” the Michigan native explained during an October 2021 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “[Universal] sent me the script because they wanted my blessing. And I read it and it was the most hideous, superficial crap I ever read.”
The Desperately Seeking Susan actress went on to say that she heard a “misogynist” male director was attached to the project. “Finally, I just threw down the gauntlet,” she added.
“Nobody is going to boss her around on this,” the source tells Us of the movie, which doesn’t yet have a release date. “She’s taking her time to ensure the right actors are picked and that the plot line is both accurate and fair to those who are portrayed in the movie.”
No cast announcements have been made, but speculation about which actress will play Madonna has reached a fever pitch in recent weeks. Actresses including Florence Pugh, Julia Garner, Alexa Demie, Emma Laird and Sydney Sweeney have all been rumored to be in the running alongside musicians Sky Ferreira and Bebe Rexha.
“Auditions for my film are a surreal experience,” the Evita star wrote via Instagram in February alongside a video clip of herself in the studio. “But I’m enjoying dancing to the Classics!!”
If it seems like the production process is taking a while, it’s because the Grammy winner is making sure that every aspect of the film is handled with care.
“Madonna’s life has been truly extraordinary and complicated,” the insider explains. “It’s not a simple story to put together, and she’s got a lot of issues that are off-limits as well as those that need to be told with extreme sensitivity.”
Though the film may cover some of the more difficult periods in the singer’s life, nothing will make its way into the film without her approval. “This all requires her input and sign-off, for sure,” says the source.
For more on Madonna’s upcoming biopic, watch the video above and pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
