Madonna Says Biopic Collapsed Over Budget Dispute, Now She Is Developing a Netflix Series

Madonna says the long-planned film about her life was scrapped after a budget dispute with Universal Pictures. In an Interview magazine interview published Monday, the 67-year-old pop star said she spent four years developing the project, including two years writing the script and two more working with the studio on budgeting, casting and production.

“I had extraordinary life experiences. I had a big life, so I needed a big budget,” Madonna said. She added, “I was supposed to make a movie about my life, but me and Universal had a disagreement about the budget.” Madonna said she even tried to make the project cheaper by moving some of the filming to Serbia, but the studio still did not agree. “Maybe they just didn’t believe in me,” she said, recalling that executives told her, “We don’t believe that you can stay in Serbia for more than four days.” Madonna responded that they should have read the script, saying her life had been about survival, not a vacation.

The film was to be directed by Madonna herself, with Julia Garner cast to play her after a widely publicized and demanding audition process. The movie was expected to trace Madonna’s journey from childhood in Michigan, through her early career in New York in the 1980s, to the release of Ray of Light in 1998.

After the cancellation, Netflix approached Madonna about turning the story into a series. She said that process has also been lengthy and complicated, partly because she could not use the script written for Universal without buying back the rights. She is now developing a new autobiographical series for the streaming giant, hoping this version will reach the screen. Meanwhile, a new album, Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II, is due on July 3, and will continue her 2005 album while reuniting her with producer Stuart Price and the dance sound associated with her work.