(Left) Madonna in ‘Dick Tracy’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. (Right) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Preview:
- A limited series based on Madonna’s life is in the works.
- Madonna herself is involved.
- ‘Stranger Things’ Shawn Levy is also involved.
Madonna certainly has had the sort of life and career you’d think companies would be scrambling to bring to screens.
And indeed, in 2020, she began hinting that she had a new cinematic idea brewing, including cryptic messages to ‘Juno’ writer Diablo Cody about collaborating on something.
That turned into an official Madonna biopic for Universal, which she announced she would co-write with Cody and Erin Cressida Wilson.
The search began for someone to play Madonna, one that included the likes of Florence Pugh, ‘Euphoria’s Alexa Demie and Odessa Young floated alongside singers including Bebe Rexha and Sky Ferreira..
Yet the search seemed to end when Julia Garner was offered the lead.
Here’s what Madonna said at the time:
“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. The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”
Still, there seemed to be very little forward movement, and in early 2023, word began to trickle out that the movie was on hold, possibly indefinitely.
Now, though, after some comments a while ago from the musician herself that she was looking to switch tracks and instead bring her story to life as a TV show, Deadline brings word that she’s collaborating with prolific producer/filmmaker Shawn Levy to make a limited series for Netflix.
Levy, of course, has a wealth of credits to his name, including several projects for Netflix such as mammoth hit ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘The Adam Project.’ And not forgetting his most recent theatrical effort, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ which made more than $1.33 billion dollars at the box office after its release last year.
Related Article: Madonna’s Plans to Make a Biopic of Her Life and Career on Hold
What is Madonna’s story?
Madonna in ‘Madonna: Truth or Dare’. Photo: Miramax Films.
Since Madonna Louise Ciccone dropped out of college and got on a plane for the first time in her life to pursue a career in music and dance in New York with $35 in her pocket, the Michigan native has defied expectations.
Certified the best-selling female music artist in history, Madonna has sold 400 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, and has long been known someone who can endlessly evolve her style and vibe to whatever is in vogue.
Her impact on society and pop culture have gone beyond her influence in the music industry as a revolutionary pop star who challenged sexism to redefine what it means to be a powerful woman in the field, and her movie career.
Fearless and provocative, the “Like a Virgin” singer has been outspoken on women’s rights and sexuality, pushing boundaries and challenging societal norms, and a strong advocate of the LGBTQ community.
Who might star as Madonna?
Julia Garner in ‘The Royal Hotel.’ Photo: Neon.
While the show has yet to reach the casting stage, Julia Garner certainly has a leg up in more than one regard.
Deadline reports that Garner may well cross from the movie version into this new project (but has yet to be officially confirmed or indeed make a deal to do so, which means it’s up to the vagaries of business and scheduling).
But as recently as this year’s Vanity Fair Oscar party, Garner was dropping hints on social media:
On the Netflix front, Garner is herself a regular –– she broke out with her role on ‘Ozark’ and appeared in con artist limited series ‘Inventing Anna.’
She’s working with the streaming service again, signing on to play the female lead and executive produce a limited series about the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the relationship between FTX co-founder and chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried and his girlfriend and business associate Caroline Ellison (the role she would take).
When will the Madonna series be on screens?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here –– this show isn’t moving quicker than a ray of light at this point; it’s still at an early stage.
Netflix has yet to even confirm any of Deadline’s story (which assumes the deals are still being hammered out), so right now this is more a development than an actual show. And given how the proposed movie has yet to surface, the show is far from a certainty. Still, we won’t count out anything that has Levy attached…
Madonna in ‘Madonna: Truth or Dare’. Photo: Miramax Films.
List of Biopics Based on Musicians:
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