A much-anticipated Madonna biopic, which the singer was set to co-write and direct with Ozark star Julia Garner, was unexpectedly scrapped earlier this week.
Universal Pictures announced the decision after the Queen of Pop announced she was embarking on a 40th anniversary world tour.
Now The US Sun is reporting that the biopic, which was given the green light in 2020, has been shelved in part because she insisted she had “almost complete” control over the process, in addition to her bizarre “circus antics” on social media.
Biopic drama: Just days after announcing that Madonna’s highly anticipated biopic was being scrapped, The US Sun reports that the decision was due in part to her insistence on having “almost total” control over the project and her bizarre “circus antics” to have’ on social media; She is pictured in NYC in September 2021
The Rebel Heart star’s controversial and bizarre posts on social media had studio execs “scratching their heads,” an insider told the publication.
“Madonna has done herself a disservice by acting strange on social media throughout the process,” the source continued.
“She signed on to do this film and that should have been the signal for her to stop the circus antics, stop chasing likes and just pull yourself together and get this film in shape.”
While her outlandish and sometimes funny posts are often well-received by her die-hard fans, they were reportedly off-putting to Universal bosses.
On hold: The much-anticipated Madonna biopic starring Julia Garner (right) has been shelved for the time being after she announced a new 40th anniversary world tour
“Studio bosses have been scratching their heads and watching what Madonna has been posting for those months that she was supposed to be writing,” the source explained.
The Express Yourself superstar’s social media controversy included a racy video of herself in lingerie alongside a healthy picture of her four youngest on Christmas Day, which some commenters found “awkward”.
Among her other quirky antics: a video showing her wearing a black lace balaclava while holding a riding crop in December; a clip showing her licking water from a dog bowl after posing suggestively with bottles of sriracha and mustard; and lip-synched to a rap about slapping people in their “mammy face” captioned, “Okay wait bitch.”
The mother-of-six also left many confused with a post in October in which she revealed she was gay, before making a “confession” that she was never circumcised.
And in early April, ahead of the Grammy Awards, she released a video showing herself with a strange “frozen face” while wearing a see-through top.
40th Anniversary Retrospective: The Celebration Tour “will take us on Madonna’s artistic journey through four decades and pay tribute to the city of New York where her music career began,” according to a press release
Social media antics: Madonna’s recent social media controversies include posting a racy video of herself in lingerie alongside a healthy picture of her four youngest on Christmas Day
Raunchy: The Express Yourself star also raised eyebrows with a video of her wearing a black lace balaclava while holding a riding crop in December
Bizarre: Madonna’s social media antics also included her lip-synching to a rap about slapping people in her ‘maternal face’, captioned: ‘Okay wait bitch’
It is reported that executives at Universal disliked the seemingly endless contributions when she was asked to focus on writing and casting the biopic.
It has been said that Garner, a 28-year-old Golden Globe and multiple Emmy winner, endured a grueling audition to land the role against competition, which reportedly includes Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney ( 25) and the Don’t Worry Darling star belonged to Florence Pugh, 27, among others.
The casting process has been described as a boot camp where actresses were drilled with grueling 11-hour choreography sessions and readings directed by Madonna, as well as further auditions that required them to sing to her.
Over the past three years, Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone), 64, has reportedly blown away several screenwriters, including Academy Award-winner Diablo Cody.
Shifting focus: It seems that execs at Universal didn’t like seeing all of her social media appearances when she was supposed to focus on writing and casting the biopic
Material Girl: Madonna sported a diamond-encrusted grill in another bizarre video
Frozen face: The Rebel Hearts star dropped a video ahead of the Grammy Awards showing her with a strange ‘frozen face’ while wearing a see-through top
But Cody, 44, would eventually quit in April 2021 after finding working with Madonna too difficult, The Sun reported at the time.
“I have a very long script that I’m having a hard time cutting down,” Madonna admitted last summer. “I’ve carved it, but it’s like having my limbs chopped off.”
Studio execs had hoped that Cody would be a steady and grounded hand at the helm for the project, but it was eventually revealed that her other projects would only commit to helping with the first draft of the script due to parental responsibility.
“It was an uphill battle after she left, even though Madonna insisted on writing more herself,” stressed the person with knowledge of the situation, before revealing the singer-songwriter’s insistence on directing the biopic , possibly one of the first breaking points was .
Deleted: Madonna declared ‘I’ve never worn so many clothes in my life’ after Madonna was banned from Instagram Live for breaking nudity rules; This is a censored version of one of the photos we censored
Transformation: Madonna was barely recognizable in another racy offering she uploaded to her Instagram page
Earlier this month, rumors of a new tour began circulating, which Madonna would eventually confirm on her website and social media.
According to a press release, The Celebration Tour will “take us on Madonna’s artistic journey through four decades and pay tribute to the city of New York where her music career began.”
It was originally scheduled for a total of 35 shows across North America and Europe, but due to popular fan demand, several more dates have been added.
The Celebration Tour is currently slated to begin July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, run through 2023 and conclude on January 8 next year with a performance at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Los Angeles.
Tour: Earlier this month, rumors started circulating about a new tour
The Trek: The Celebration Tour is currently scheduled to begin July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and run through to a few shows in LA in January 2024