Madonna’s canned biography netted Universal an estimated $12 million, a Hollywood source EXCLUSIVELY told The US Sun.
The project has been canceled this week before Universal Pictures After the Queen of Pop, 64, Announce a grand world touralthough it is believed that the decision was made earlier.
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First green-lit in 2020, it was film It is set to be directed and co-written by a star as Virgo herself.
Ozark actress Julia Garner28 years old, won the coveted role Madonna After overcoming strong competition from other young stars such as Florence Pugh And Sydney Sweeney In grueling training camp style tests.
Meanwhile, on the writing front, Oscar– Juno Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody was brought in to put the script together.
But in April 2021, USU reported that Cody, 44, had a stroke He quit after finding Madonna too difficult to work with.
Playwright and author Erin Cressida Wilson was hired to work on another draft of the script.
Understandably, no final version was ever made and there were talks of splitting the film into two parts or even making it into a miniseries.
said a well-located source in Tinseltown American Sun The entire development process has already cost Universal between $10 million and $12 million.
That means if another studio wants to pick up the movie, they’ll have to reimburse Universal for their expenses just to have the right to start again from square one, the insider said.
The source explained, “They started spending money on this project in 2020, which included millions for Madonna and her manager Guy O’Sery to license the rights to Madonna’s story and music, as well as millions of money spent on writing and directing fees for Madonna and Diablo. Cody’s writing fee is top-of-the-range as a winner. Previously Oscar winner.
Then there was the dancing and ‘bootcamp’ elements of the casting process, which took months of everyone’s time.
“When you spend millions and millions on a project without a final script, there will be a moment of realization, and that’s what happened here.”
Auditions for the project saw actresses trained in 11-hour dance sessions directed by Madonna.
They also had readings with the music legend and more auditions where they had to sing in front of her.
The US Sun reported yesterday that Universal executives weren’t impressed by Madonna’s antics Social media Posts in recent months while she was supposed to work on the movie.
She has been embroiled in many controversies after publishing a series of alien to Tik Tok And Instagram.
Mother of six insistence on retention “Almost complete” control of the project proved the bridge too far And she was doomed, according to the well-informed newspaper The US Sun.
But despite the studio’s low cost, the source says the project for Madonna has always been about artistic credibility rather than making money.
The source said: “There is no doubt that Madonna will make more money on her concert tour than she would have if she had spent 2023 making a Madonna movie.
“This was never about the money, and Madonna has made more money in her career than she knows what to do with.
Making this film was an opportunity to finally establish herself as a filmmaker and artist outside of the songs and music videos for which she is best known.
Remember, I married two film directors, Sean Penn And Guy RitchieAnd she wanted to show the world that she really learned something from the experience of watching these guys put their directing careers together.”
Madonna previously directed two feature films, the drama Filth and Wisdom in 2008 and the 2011 film WE about the abdication of King Edward VIII to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Her concert tour is set to begin in July and will highlight music from her glittering 40-plus year career.
Offers sold out New YorkAnd LondonAnd Parisand other cities within minutes.
Sources close to Madonna told Variety that touring is now her “sole focus” but that she remains committed to making a film about her life one day.
US Sun has reached out to representatives for Madonna and Universal Pictures to request comment.
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