Madonna’s Life Story Is Getting The Netflix Treatment

The Queen of Pop’s life story is finally getting told onscreen. On May 12, it was announced that Madonna is teaming up with Netflix to create a limited biopic series that focuses on her life and music. The singer will serve as an executive producer alongside Stranger Things director Shawn Levy, who has an exclusive TV deal with Netflix.

Deadline first reported the project, stating that Madonna and Levy have been discussing it “for a while,” but are still in the beginning stages of development. So, it’s unknown what period of Madge’s life and career the series will focus on.

The duo is said to be “starting from scratch,” as the show is completely separate from the biopic movie that Madonna was developing with Universal Pictures in 2022. The film was halted after she announced her Celebration Tour in 2023, but she indicated that the feature was back on track in July 2024, sharing an Instagram video of her working on a script.

Madge previously talked about shifting gears to a TV show in November, hinting that she had faced pushback in her biopic’s creative process. “I did not have a normal life. I cannot make this in the normal way,” she wrote in an Instagram post, which has since been deleted. “Should I make the story of my life into a series or a feature film?”

Who Will Play Madonna?

Given that the story has yet to be locked down, casting has not been confirmed for the series either. However, Deadline reports that Julia Garner, the singer’s reported choice for the scrapped movie, would “most likely play Madonna,” pending her availability. Garner has stayed in touch with Madge’s team, even joining her onstage as a guest “Vogue” judge on the Celebration Tour.

Garner reportedly won the role over several young actors, including Florence Pugh, Alexa Demie, Odessa Young, Emma Laird, Bebe Rexha, and Sky Ferreira, who all underwent a rigorous audition process that many referred to as “Madonna Bootcamp.”

When the original biopic was announced in 2020, Madonna was set to both direct and co-write the script herself. “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,” she said at the time. The singer has yet to confirm if she’ll take on a directing or writing role on this new series.