Madonna’s biopic hits a budget wall: ‘My big life required a big budget’

Madonna has shared new details regarding why her long-awaited biopic has not been brought to life. The artist stated that she could not reach an agreement with Universal Studios on the budget, and that the project has been unable to move forward for this reason.

The 67-year-old pop star described the rift with the studio by saying, “We had a disagreement with Universal about the budget because I have lived an extraordinary life. I have lived a very big life, so I needed a big budget.”

Madonna also mentioned that she proposed the option of filming in Serbia to reduce costs. However, according to the artist, the studio was not receptive to this idea: “I don’t know, maybe they didn’t believe in me.”

Following the deadlock in the film version, Madonna began working with a digital platform to adapt her life story into a miniseries format. However, the artist noted that she has encountered new problems regarding the use of the original script she wrote for Universal.

The “Queen of Pop” claimed that she cannot use the script she wrote herself without purchasing it from the studio at an “exorbitant price,” stating that the process has turned into a separate and long struggle.

Julia Garner had been selected to play Madonna in the biopic project. It was reported that Garner was deemed suitable for the role following an extensive, boot-camp-style casting process.

The project has come up in different forms over the years. In the early stages, the film was referred to as “Little Sparrow,” and Diablo Cody was involved in the scriptwriting process. Later, the title “Who’s That Girl,” a reference to the 1987 Madonna song, came to the fore.

In 2024, Madonna co-wrote most of the script with Erin Cressida Wilson. However, after the preparations, the artist had expressed on social media that she constantly faced obstacles in meetings with producers and managers regarding the film.

Emphasizing that she has been working on the project for four years, Madonna said that some people suggested she think on a smaller scale, but that her life could not be told under “normal conditions.”

The artist is currently preparing for her new studio album, “Confessions II.” The album, which is scheduled for release on July 3, is a sequel to her 2005 project “Confessions on a Dance Floor.” Madonna said that a writer has been found for the miniseries and that the project will be revisited after the album promotion.