The 58-year-old singer’s rise towards stardom is set to be the focus of a new movie backed by Universal, but Madonna has seemingly criticised the move, saying no-one else has the right to tell her life story.
Alongside an old picture of herself, Madonna wrote on Instagram: “Nobody knows what I know and what I have seen. Only I can tell my story. Anyone else who tries is a charlatan and a fool. Looking for instant gratification without doing the work. This is a disease in our society.”
Madonna’s criticism came shortly after it was reported that Universal had acquired the rights to Elyse Hollander’s ‘Blond Ambition’ script, which charts the music icon’s efforts to make her first album and her early struggles in the entertainment business in the 80s.
The script topped the 2016 Black List, the industry ranking that tracks the most-liked screenplays in Hollywood that have yet to be made into films.
‘Blonde Ambition’ – which also explores Madonna’s love life and her first experiences with fame – is the debut script of Elyse, who previously worked with acclaimed director Alejandro G. Inarritu during the making of ‘Birdman’.
Universal executive vice-president of production Erik Baiers and Chloe Yellin, the firm’s director of development, have reportedly been handed the responsibility of overseeing the project on behalf of the movie studio.
And Michael De Luca – who has recently worked on the ‘Fifty Shades franchise – is set to produce the biopic.
However, it remains to be seen whether Madonna – who released her eponymous debut album in 1983 – will make life difficult for the moviemakers by trying to block them from using her music in the unauthorised film.