Madonna Says Universal Pictures Pulled The Plug On Her Biopic Over Budget Dispute

Madonna Says Universal Pictures Pulled The Plug On Her Biopic Over Budget Dispute

Major update for anyone holding out hope for Madonna’s long-awaited biopic.

Back in 2021, #UniversalPictures won a multi-studio bidding war to bring Madonna’s life story to the big screen, with #Ozark Emmy winner Julia Garner tapped to play the pop legend. Fast forward to 2026, and Universal has had a change of mind. In a new interview with Interview magazine, Madonna revealed the film fell apart after a budget dispute with the studio. “I was supposed to make a movie about my life. I worked on my script for two years and spent two years at Universal Studios with the line producers doing budgeting and casting. We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget because I needed — I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget,” she said.

#Madonna claims she even tried to cut costs — including exploring filming overseas — but says the studio wasn’t sold. “Maybe they just didn’t believe in me. One of their first reactions was, ‘We don’t believe you’d stay in Serbia more than four days.’ And I said, ‘Did you read the script?’ My whole life has been survival. I’m not going there for a holiday.” After Universal walked away, Madonna says #Netflix approached her about turning her story into a series — but that came with its own headaches. She claims she couldn’t use the script she spent years writing unless she bought it back for what she called an “extortionist’s price.” Still, it looks like things may be back on track, with Netflix now reportedly developing an autobiographical series about her life.