EXCLUSIVE: Madonna's Out! Queen of Pop Admits to Scraping Much-Anticipated Biopic Due to Budget Conflicts
Madonna has canceled her planned biopic because of budget conflicts.
July 11 2026, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Madonna is no Michael. At a time when the late Michael Jackson's biopic is breaking records, the pop star has revealed that she's had to scrap the much-anticipated movie about her own life.
After working on the script for years (including with Juno scribe Diablo Cody), the 67-year-old confirmed she pressed pause when the studio balked at her budget.
Material Girl, Budget Problems
Madonna scrapped the highly anticipated biopic about her own life.
"We had a falling-out, me and Universal, regarding budget," the singer told Interview magazine, griping, "I've had an extraordinary life. I've had a huge life, so I needed a big budget. You know what I mean?"
Once Universal Studios bowed out, Netflix showed some interest in the project, which was set to star Julia Garner, proposing a miniseries for the streamer.
The Extortionist Price Tag
The studio demanded an extortionist price to release the script.
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Problem was, Madonna couldn't use her script unless she paid "an extortionist's price" to Universal.
As she contemplated turning the film into a series, the singer became frustrated.
"You have to meet a lot of writers and find the right showrunner," she explained, quipping, "I was like, 'Good thing I have another job, because I need to create. I need to do what I was put on this earth to do.'"
