Last month, news dropped on who would have the starring role of Madonna in the musician’s upcoming biopic about herself. And “Ozark” star Julia Garner won the prize, beating out Florence Pugh, Sky Ferreira, Alexa Demie, and other hopefuls for the part. But there’s a lot of work left before the untitled project for Universal Pictures (its working title is “Little Sparrow“) heads into production.
READ MORE: Julia Garner Has Been Offered The Madonna Role In Universal’s Biopic
Madonna provided a little update on the film in a recent interview with Variety. While the interview mainly dealt with longtime friend and creative partner Guy Oseary, Madonna did offer how the movie’s script is coming along and why she wanted to make the film in the first place. “I have a very long script that is really hard for me to make shorter,” she said. “I’ve been whittling away at it, but it’s like hacking off my limbs.”
“Tully” and “Jennifer’s Body” screenwriter Diablo Cody worked on early drafts of the script, but she departed the project in early 2021 after handing in a final draft. Since then, Erin Cressida Wilson has stepped in to write further drafts. The script currently focuses on Madonna’s rise to fame from her early days in NYC to her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. However, that’s set to change.
As for why Madonna wants to make a movie about her life and career, she stressed that she’s the only one who can tell it best. “I’ve had an extraordinary life, I must make an extraordinary film,” she continued, “It was also a preemptive strike because a lot of people were trying to make movies about me. Mostly misogynistic men. So I put my foot in the door and said, “No one’s going to tell my story, but me.” That’s the kind of answer to expect from a pop artist whose work always reflected a strong sense of feminine empowerment through expression and sex.
Madonna’s no stranger to Hollywood. Over the years, she’s had roles in films like “Desperately Seeking Susan,” “A League Of Their Own,” “Dangerous Game,” and “Evita.” Documentaries like 1991’s “Truth Or Dare” and 2021’s “Madame X” also focus on her musical career. No word yet on if Madonna will have a cameo in the biopic, though. As for other actresses attached to the film, “Uncut Gems” star Julia Fox reportedly met with Madonna to discuss her playing the role of the musician’s long-time friend, actress Debi Mazar.
Julia Garner as Madonna should be a treat, but Madonna still needs to finalize her script before this biopic heads into production. Whenever it does, though, rest assured that Madonna will tell her story her way, in alignment with her credo to “express yourself.”
