Music

Madonna fans want to know who’ll play the queen of pop — and Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga are in the frame


As someone who doesn’t do anything by halves, it is perhaps unsurprising that Madonna has chosen to write a film about her life, and also direct it.

This week it emerged that the pop icon, 62, will be teaming up with the Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody (who wrote the acclaimed coming-of-age drama Juno) for an as-yet untitled film about her life and career.

Madonna has said she wants the film to convey the “incredible journey” that life has taken her on and that its focus “will always be music”.

“There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me,” she says. “It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.

Madonna’s previous outings as a film director were not resounding successes (Photo: John Shearer/Getty)

Madonna the film director

”Fans of the singer – who has sold more than 300m records over the course of four decades – will no doubt be thrilled at the chance to grab a fresh glimpse into Madonna’s life. But will it work? Madonna may know the source material better than anyone – after all, it will be about her own experiences. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy.

The singer has previously directed two films – the 2008 comedy drama Filth and Wisdom and the 2011 historical romance W.E.. But both were panned by critics. Filth and Wisdom currently has an overall approval score of only 25 per cent on the film ratings site Rotten Tomatoes. W.E. comes in even lower at 12 per cent.

Musical biopics have enjoyed great success in recent years. The 2018 Queen-inspired blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody and Sir Elton John’s Rocketman posted bumper ticket sales.

Playing Elton

While it is unusual for the subject of the film to sit in the director’s chair, the stars of both releases were still able to have some input. Surviving Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor were both involved in the production of Bohemian Rhapsody. While last year’s Rocketman counted none other than Sir Elton’s husband, David Furnish, as one of its producers.

The singer-songwriter has previously said he kept a “discreet distance” from the actual making of the biopic, though he was able to say “yay or nay” to some important decisions.

He also met up with the actor Taron Egerton – who played a younger version of himself in the film – a couple of times to give him some pointers. On one occasion, he and Egerton “had a takeaway curry and chatted” at Sir Elton’s house. The singer revealed he even let the actor read his diaries when he took on the part.

Casting the queen of pop will not be easy. Some have even suggested she should play herself (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty/MDNA SKIN)

Casting the queen of pop

As for Madonna, taking the director’s chair will certainly provide greater deal of control than she would get if her portrayal was in the hands of another. But who will play the queen of pop? No casting information has yet been released. But fans are excitedly speculating about everyone from the singers Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga to Ozark actress Julia Garner.

Others have named Madonna’s 23-year-old daughter Lourdes Leon as a potential contender. Some have suggested the singer might even decide to play herself.

Perhaps the latter is unlikely but with film credits including Evita and Desperately Seeking Susan, it would not be the pop star’s first time in a starring movie role.

There is plenty that remains to be seen but one thing is certain however – whoever does portray the queen of pop on screen could be in for quite the adventure.





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.