Here's Why the Madonna Biopic Has Been Tabled
Universal Pictures will not be moving forward with the biopic, new reports reveal.
Madonna's biopic has reportedly been shelved for the time being, multiple sources can confirm.
First reported by Variety, it was revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 24, that the highly-anticipated film is no longer in development at Universal Pictures—at least for now.
Co-written by the music legend herself, the film about Madonna's life and career was supposed to star Ozark's Julia Garner in the feature role. The "Material Girl" singer was even slated to direct the film before it was called off, but, apparently, the movie may not be out of the question forever.
Insiders told the outlet that Madonna is still committed to making a film about her life someday, though all of her attention is currently going toward the new world tour she just announced last week.
Related: Madonna Explains Why She Had to 'Preemptively Strike' By Making a Biopic About Herself
The 64-year-old performer revealed the exciting news on Tuesday, Jan. 17, introducing "The Celebration Tour" via her Instagram page.
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The 35-city event—expected to kick off in July—will celebrate Madonna's hit music spanning over four decades. Tickets quickly sold out in some cities, including New York, London and Paris. Second shows have already been added in Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, as well as a third show in New York.
"I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for," Madonna previously said about the tour, per People.
The massive tour—though exciting—has unfortunately put a pause on the biopic, which was supposed to feature an original screenplay co-written by Academy Award winner Diablo Cody, produced by three-time Academy Award nominee Amy Pascal.
At the time the movie was announced, Madonna said in a statement, "I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer–a human being, trying to make her way in this world."
She continued, "The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”
Her comments make it clear that music has always been her first priority, which makes it no surprise that the biopic is on hold while she goes on tour to celebrate her music. But we can still hope that a Madonna movie will happen someday!