Why was Madonna's biopic at Universal scrapped?
What's the story
Pop icon Madonna has revealed that her much-anticipated biopic, which was supposed to star Ozark actor Julia Garner, was scrapped due to a "falling out" with Universal Studios over budget issues. In a recent interview with Interview magazine editor Mel Ottenberg, she revealed that she worked on the script for two years and spent two years at Universal Studios handling budgeting and casting. However, there were disagreements over the film's budget.
Budget disagreements
Madonna needed a bigger budget for the film
Madonna, who was also set to direct the film, said she "needed a big budget" to accurately depict her "extraordinary life." She claimed that Universal Studios couldn't understand this and refused to increase the budget. "I was supposed to make a movie about my life..." she said. "I needed a big budget." Universal "couldn't get their heads" around this, the pop superstar revealed.
Alternative filming location
Madonna offered to film the biopic in Serbia
Madonna suggested filming the biopic in Serbia as a way to reduce costs, but Universal Studios was not on board with this idea. "Maybe they just didn't believe in me," she said. "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."
New direction
Netflix approached Madonna to create a limited series
When the biopic plans fell through, Netflix approached Madonna about creating a limited series based on her life. However, she couldn't use the script she had written for Universal Studios unless she bought it from them at "an extortionist's price." "That's just the way it goes," she said. "I started trying to understand how making a series would work...you have to meet a lot of writers and find the right showrunner, and I couldn't find one."
Career shift
Madonna has now decided to focus on her music career
After eight to nine months of trying to make the Netflix series happen, plans fell through. At this point, Madonna decided to return her focus to her music career. "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.'" Meanwhile, she's gearing up for the release of her upcoming 15th studio album Confessions II on July 3.