FEATURE:
Live to Tell
IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in the cover shoot for 1984’s Like a Virgin/PHOTO CREDIT: Steven Meisel
Why the Scrapped Madonna Biopic Needs to Be Revived
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THIS broke last week…
PHOTO CREDIT: Ricardo Gomes
but, as I have been talking about Madonna a lot recently, I wanted to keep the momentum going. It has been a busy and changeable start to 2023 for the Queen of Pop. One of the most exciting music biopic possibilities of this year was going to be the one from Madonna. The as-yet-untitled project would have featured Julia Garner as Madonna. Directed by the iconic musician, it would definitely have been interesting to see what angle the film took. In terms of setting and period, there is so much to choose from. Looking at Julia Garner, and one thinks of Madonna in 1986 – around the time she released True Blue. After so much years of speculation and rumours, it was a chance for a long-awaited biopic to come to our screens. As this article reports it seems like the biopic has been scrapped (or it is on hold at least):
“The Madonna biopic that was to be directed by Madonna is no longer in development at Universal Pictures, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The news comes after the singer announced a massive world tour, though multiple sources say the movie actually was put in turnaround late last year, before the announcement of the tour.
Universal had no comment.
The project, which was first announced in 2020, was going to chronicle the singer’s career, which spans almost four decades and has gone far beyond music as she has made forays into art, movies, fashion and charity. She burst onto the 1980s music scene and established herself as the Queen of Pop with best-selling albums such as Like a Virgin, True Blue and Like a Prayer. She eventually segued into a career in Hollywood, including directing and starring in feature films.
IN THIS PHOTO: Julia Garner
As of last year, Julia Garner was the frontrunner to play Madonna after a long audition process that saw many young stars of a certain age — including Florence Pugh and Odessa Young — go out for the role. According to sources at the time, the hopefuls participated in intense — sometimes up to 11-hour-a-day — choreography sessions with Madonna’s choreographer, after which there were choreography sessions with Madonna, herself. Callbacks consisted of readings with Madonna, as well as singing auditions with the superstar.
Amy Pascal was set to produce the movie, which was co-written by Secretary writer Erin Cressida Wilson and Madonna. (Diablo Cody was previously set to pen the project.
Development was always a struggle for the movie. None of the many drafts of the scripts was ever under 180 pages, according to one source. That led to conversations about perhaps splitting the movie into two or perhaps making it into an event miniseries. “You have 40 years of success, and it’s very hard to put that into one movie,” said the source.
As for Madonna, she said at the time of the project’s announcement in 2020, “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”.
It must have been an impossible task trying to hone a script. As Madonna has a forty-year career, it is a bit of a tricky thing. This year is going to see so many music biopics come to life. They are always some of the hardest films to get right. As you are dealing with a real person, there is that extra pressure to get things right. From the casting to the script, scrutiny and judgment awaits. There is also that question as to whether it is appropriate to put that artist/band onto the screen. Also, you have to consider whether the story you are telling is truthful and open, or whether it is too exploitative. With Madonna directing, you wonder if there would be more variety and exaggeration than openness and balance. I think it would have been a good biopic, so it is a shame that it has been scrapped. Madonna is embarking on a world tour and celebrating forty years in music. I guess it would have been impossible to do the tour and make the film but, if someone else was directing, it could have been realised. Not only is it a shame for fans who were looking forward to the biopic. I also feel it would have made a great anniversary release. In July, Madonna’s eponymous album turns forty. It is rare that we get a biopic about a Pop colossus where they themselves have say and creative control. Maybe it would have been a strange experience for Julia Garner, but the end result would have been worth it!
As much as anything, that catalogue is one of the best in music. Probably focusing more on her 1980s work, that period in American culture is so rich and vibrant. A 1980s-set film where we follow Madonna was definitely tantalising. The ‘80s has always been popular for filmmakers, but there seems to be this vogue (no pun intended!) for the decade now. There have been so many other attempts and approaches to get a Madonna biopic made. Having an authorised biopic would have united young and older fans alike. I know other actors were in the frame to play Madonna. Including Florence Pugh, I do wonder if there will be a recast if another biopic is made. Whether it will be Madonna’s original or someone else making one, we will have to see. After the world tour and celebration around the fortieth anniversary of her debut album, there is going to be such an appetite to see a biopic. The studio could have at least pushed back the biopic to next year. It does seem like a waste if we are not going to see it after all! I do feel like there is going to be an explosion of Madonna interest this and next year. New books are sure to come out and, as there have been some excellent music documentaries made through the years, surely a fresh and career-spanning one is required?
I also feel like Madonna is a major artist whose biopic could have inspired other projects. A Michael Jackson biopic is coming, but think of other artists like Prince and potential projects that could be kickstarted following a Madonna biopic success. I know it is speculative saying it would do well at the box office and critics but, with Julia Garner leading and a career that transformed Pop, hope would have been pretty high! I am hopeful that something will come to light soon regarding reigniting the biopic. As much as anything, Madonna herself is really invested and eager to bring her story to the big screen. After a world tour, you’d imagine she’d want to concentrate on a film. Maybe she might want to do a new album instead. It is a shame that the biopic is not going to happen, as it would have introduced her music to new fans. It also would have underlined how she is one of the most important artists there has ever been. An artist always evolving and producing amazing work, I am especially fascinated by her ‘80s period and how she released four remarkable and very different albums through that decade. With Julia Garner as Madonna, there would have been this incredible and devoted lead (considering how intense the audition process was, it is a shame Garner will not get to star). Regardless, Madonna is going to have a very busy year. Perhaps, when the tour is over and things settle down, it will be the time to bring the biopic back to the table. I think it is what fans around the world want. Whether Garner returns has yet to be seen. If the script and direction are just so, it would lead to a huge success. Let’s hope that the biopic…
HAPPENS next year.