Madonna says budget dispute with Universal killed biopic, leading to new album Confessions II

The biopic that never was

Madonna spent two years writing a script and another two years at Universal Studios on budgeting and casting before the project collapsed. The studio had won a multi-studio auction in 2021 to produce the film, with the singer attached to co-write and direct. Screenwriters Diablo Cody and Erin Cressida Wilson contributed drafts, and Julia Garner was cast as Madonna after a highly publicized audition boot camp in 2022.

“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.”

Madonna proposed shooting in Serbia to cut costs, but Universal executives were skeptical. "One of their first reactions was, 'We don't believe you'd stay in Serbia more than four days,'" she recalled. The biopic, reportedly titled "Who's That Girl," would have traced her journey from Michigan to the 1998 release of "Ray of Light."

From film to series: the Netflix chapter

After the Universal deal fell apart, Netflix approached Madonna about turning the project into a limited series. The transition proved difficult. Universal retained rights to the script she had written, demanding what she called "an extortionist's price" for her to use it. She spent eight or nine months searching for writers and a showrunner but could not assemble the right team.

“I started trying to understand how making a series would work. It's a very, very different process. You have to meet a lot of writers and find the right showrunner, and I couldn't find one.”

In 2025, Deadline reported that Madonna was teaming up with Shawn Levy for a limited bioseries at Netflix, but that effort also stalled.

Turning frustration into music

With both screen projects in limbo, Madonna returned to the studio. She contacted producer Stuart Price to begin work on what became Confessions II, the sequel to her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor.

“I thought the world is in a very dark place and people need to dance.”

She said many songs were informed by the deaths of her stepmother and brother. The album emerged directly from the biopic delays. "I was in limbo when that fell apart," she said. "Good thing I have another job because I need to work, I need to create."

What's next

Madonna confirmed that, more than 75 percent through the album process, a writer for the Netflix series was finally found, but she did not disclose details. Universal Pictures has not commented on her account. The interview appears in the June 22 issue of Interview magazine.