Universal Pulls the Plug on Madonna Biopic That Was Set to Star Julia Garner

Madonna Biopic Not Happening For Now

Universal’s plans to make a Madonna biopic have changed and the project is no longer on the film studio’s upcoming movie slate.

The Material Girl, herself, Madonna has decided that she’s going to go on a world tour rather than direct the once envisioned biopic about her life. It’s a Hollywood tale as old as cinema. It all sounded great on paper. Julia Garner was cast to play the iconic superstar after a grueling audition process which took hours and hours of time from the finalists who participated in it. Now, the whole project has been tossed out of production. For now, at least.

There were a couple of scripts for the movie on Madonna’s life that won’t be coming into fruition anytime soon. Diablo Cody had written a screenplay followed by another one penned by Erin Cressida Wilson. Florence Pugh also was one of several who auditioned to play the Material Girl but the part was lost to the always formidable Garner.

It’s not much of a surprise that the film isn’t happening given Madonna’s disappointing track record at the box-office. Even at the top of her dramatic game, 1996’s much-hyped Evita only grossed $50 million domestically. But, don’t cry for Madonna quite yet. Her upcoming world tour has already sold out performances in New York, London and Paris.

Madonna is mostly known from a cinematic standpoint for her roles in a string of flops at the box-office which include Shanghai Surprise, Who’s That Girl and Body of Evidence. Let’s not mention The Next Best Thing. Madonna was slated to helm the movie based on her life but if one looks at her last big screen directorial effort, W.E., one will see that the picture grossed a mere $583, 000 domestically. Of course, many years have passed since that one from 2011 but film-making isn’t Madonna’s forte. Music is.

Of course, if the film about Madonna’s life was actually made, it may have piqued audience curiosity. Several biopics have been box-office hits lately and Julia Garner has a large television fan base who may have gone out to see the picture.

While the film on Madonna’s life is something the pop superstar herself would like to make one day, it simply will not be happening right now. Madonna previously starred in two $100 million grossing movies in the 1990’s– Dick Tracy and A League of Their Own but the Material Girl was part of an ensemble in those films. The jury is still out as to whether or not a movie about Madonna would be a box-office draw. For now, we won’t be knowing the answer any time soon.

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