Register

    Britney Spears biopic will be made by Universal with Jon M. Chu as director

    By SHOOTNo Comments129 Views
    U.S. singer Britney Spears performs during her concert in Taipei, Taiwan, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Universal Pictures has landed the rights to Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me” and will develop a biopic of the pop star to be directed by Jon M. Chu, the studio announced Thursday.

    After a competitive auction, Universal won the movie rights to the memoir, which has sold more than 2.5 million copies since it was released last October. Marc Platt, the veteran producer of “Wicked” and “La La Land,” is set to produce, with Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “In the Heights”) to direct.

    Spears, herself, celebrated the news on X, where she tweeted that she was “excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He’s always made my favorite movies … stay tuned.”

    Spears, 42, in her book chronicles her rise to fame from “The Mickey Mouse Club” to global pop stardom, as well as her struggles with the conservatorship that was dissolved in 2021. The memoir, sales of which were boosted by an audiobook read by Michelle Williams, included the revelation that she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake more than 20 years ago.

    Music biopics have been one of Hollywood’s most popular genres in recent years, with recent films about Elvis, Amy Winehouse and Bob Marley. Upcoming releases include “A Complete Unknown,” with Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, and a Michael Jackson biopic due out next year.

    Universal previously released the 2015 N.W.A. biopic “Straight Outta Compton.”

    Tags:Britney SpearsJon M. ChuThe Woman in MeUniversal Pictures



    Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with 2 Swift-inspired films airing this season

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    This image released by Hallmark Media shows Hunter King, left, and Tyler Hynes in a scene from "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. (Joshua Haines/Hallmark Media via AP)

    Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.

    "Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

    "It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.

    She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."

    Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.

    "There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."

    Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.

    In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.

    Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment