Madonna teams up with Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy for Netflix series on her life

Netflix is set to bring a television series about Madonna’s life and music to its platform, with the iconic pop star herself actively participating in the project. The 66-year-old singer is teaming up with Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy for the limited series, which is still in the early stages of development, as reported by Deadline.

New project diverges from canceled biopic

The new Netflix project, which remains untitled, is distinct from a previously announced musical biopic that Madonna had co-written. That film, which was set to star Julia Garner, had been in development for several years at Universal before it was officially canceled in 2023.

Scrapped biopic and Celebration tour 

According to Variety, the decision to scrap the biopic came shortly after Madonna confirmed her Celebration tour, which had been a major commercial success.

Despite the cancellation of the film, Madonna reportedly remained determined to have her life portrayed on screen. Reportedly, the singer indicated that she was still "committed to making a film about her life one day," though details about the content and focus of the Netflix series remain unclear.

Madonna's extensive scriptwriting efforts

Madonna’s journey to get her life portrayed on screen involved substantial effort. She co-wrote two versions of the film script, one with Juno writer Diablo Cody and another with The Girl on the Train screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson. Following an intense audition process, Ozark star Julia Garner was cast to play Madonna after an extensive series of singing and dancing bootcamps. Other actresses who were reportedly considered for the role included Alexa Demie, Florence Pugh, Bebe Rexha, and Odessa Young.

Madonna’s career continues to be marked by groundbreaking achievements. Her most recent album, Madame X, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming her ninth No. 1 album. Additionally, her Celebration tour, which ran from October 2023 to May 2024, became one of the fastest-selling tours of all time. It sold over 1.2 million tickets, grossing $225.4 million from 80 shows.