Jon M. Chu is clearing up the casting rumors surrounding his upcoming Britney Spears biopic. The director of “Wicked” took to X to let fans know that the film is still in its early stages, and the casting process hasn’t even begun, despite circulating reports claiming that Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Millie Bobby Brown are competing for the role of the legendary pop icon.
“None of this is true,” Chu responded to the speculation about Grande, Carpenter, and Brown being in the running. “Sounds exciting but have not had one conversation about casting this movie yet. We are way too early in development. Sorry.”
Chu, who worked with Grande on “Wicked,” where she earned an Oscar nomination, is also collaborating with her on the upcoming sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” set for release this November. The Britney Spears biopic is being produced by Marc Platt, the same producer behind “Wicked,” and is backed by Universal Pictures, the studio that also handles the musical adaptation. Universal acquired the rights to the biopic in August 2023. The movie will be based on Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me, which has sold over 2.5 million copies in the U.S.
In her memoir, Spears recounts her rise to fame from her early days on the “Mickey Mouse Club” to her highly publicized conservatorship battle. The audiobook, narrated by Academy Award-nominated Michelle Williams and with an introduction by Spears, became the fastest-selling audiobook in Simon & Schuster’s history. While the exact focus of the biopic remains unclear, fans are eagerly speculating which parts of Spears’ life will be highlighted.
When The Woman in Me was released in October 2023, Spears shared her appreciation for her fans, saying: “I poured my heart and soul into my memoir, and I am grateful to my fans and readers around the world for their unwavering support.”
Since the announcement of the biopic, fans have been sharing their thoughts on who should portray Spears, with Olivia Holt, star of Heart Eyes, being mentioned frequently. Holt herself told Variety earlier this year that playing Spears “would be a dream,” adding: “I would be so honored.”
