The Britney Spears story is coming to the big screen. Deadline reports that Universal won the rights to adapt the pop singer’s 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller “The Woman In Me.” And the studio hired a solid choice to direct it: “Wicked” filmmaker Jon M. Chu, who’s no stranger to working in the pop music vernacular. Other films by by the director include “In The Heights,” “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” and “Step Up 2: The Streets.”
As for who will play Spears, that remains a mystery for now. But it’s a huge role for an established A-lister or an up-and-comer. Expect Universal to cast a Marisa Abela type similar to “Black To Black“: an actress on the rise and a fixture on the small screen looking for a big break. Spears will be a challenging role, in any case: a multi-platinum performer who hit a career nadir becoming a tabloid regular only to become beloved again. Add in Spears’ recent freedom from her conservatorship, and this is a big role for someone.
Marc Platt will produce “The Woman In Me,” as he just did on Chu’s upcoming “Wicked” adaptation, which hits theaters on November 22. Spears’ book came from a $15 million book deal she made in 2022. Since publication, it’s sold over 2.5 million copies across hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats. Michelle Williams read the audiobook version, with Spears providing an exclusive introduction; it became Simon & Schuster‘s fastest-selling audiobook in history, and the most listened to audiobook on Spotify in 2023. But the hardback book did well in sales too, becoming Simon & Schuster’s besteller for 2023, with 3 million copies in print.
Expect Universal and Chu to pull out all the stops for their “The Woman In Me.” Over her career, Spears sold close to 150 million records, with Nielsen Music charting 70 million albums, singles, and songs sales over her career. Spears also won a Grammy Award and has eight Grammy nods overall. But she’s also one of the biggest pop icons of the 21st century, having done worldwide tours, the 2002 film “Crossroads,” and an extended residency in Las Vegas. “The Woman In Me” should be one of Universal’s biggest films of the next couple of years, so stay tuned for an official release date.