Madonna is gearing up for the release of her milestone 15th album, “Confession II,” a sequel to her highly regarded 2005 LP, “Confessions on a Dance Floor.” Now, weeks before the new body of work is set to be released, the 67-year-old is opening up about her failed biopic, which was scrapped in 2023 despite Julia Garner being tapped to play the music legend.
Madonna opened up to Interview Magazine in June 2026 about the movie and why it failed to materialize. She discussed her involvement with the film, saying, “I was supposed to make a movie about my life. I worked on my script for two years and spent two years at Universal Studios with the line producers doing budgeting and casting.”
Regarding why the movie didn’t move forward, the “Express Yourself” singer said, “We had a falling out, me and Universal, regarding budget because I needed — I’ve had an extraordinary life. I’ve had a huge life, so I needed a big budget. You know what I mean?”
She then stated that the executives at the movie studio “couldn’t get their heads around” the budget she felt would be necessary to properly tell her story.
The ‘Confessions II’ Singer Wanted to Find Ways To Decrease The Budget
Madonna didn’t provide figures regarding the planned budget for her still-unfilmed biopic. However, she said she was willing to make changes to the production to reduce its cost. Namely, the icon stated she wanted to find “a way to make it for less money in Serbia.”
According to her, “Maybe they just didn’t believe in me. One of their first reactions was, ‘We don’t believe you’d stay in Serbia more than four days.’ And I said, ‘Did you read the script?’ My whole life has been survival. I’m not going there for a holiday. But anyway, I was in limbo when that fell apart, and then Netflix reached out to make a series.”
Regarding Netflix, she stated, “That was a whole other long process, because I couldn’t use the script I had with Universal unless I bought it from them for an extortionist’s price, even though I wrote it. Don’t ask.”
In reflecting on the situation, Madonna said, “That’s just the way it goes.”
Fans Still Want To See Madonna’s Story Told
Madonna is among the most influential pop stars of all time. Because of this, as well as the recent success of “Michael,” fans think the movie will still happen. However, others believe her life is so big that perhaps a multi-part mini series would be in order. Still, some wonder what she would have seen as a viable budget.
One person said, “Madonna certainly has a story that spans decades, genres, and cultural moments. It’s easy to see why she’d feel a traditional biopic would need a major budget to capture the full scale of her life and career.”
Someone else wrote, “That’s an unfortunate setback for fans who were eager to see her story on the big screen. Few artists have had an impact like Madonna, and telling that story properly would be an ambitious undertaking.”
A different Madonna fan chimed in, writing, “So huge she should know it needs to be a mini series with possibly 2 to 3 seasons. Not a film.”
Julia Garner Opened Up About The Madonna Biopic In 2025
Garner was offered the role of Madonna in 2022. After accepting, the actress underwent a rigorous preparation process, including a grueling boot camp. In July 2025, years after the movie was announced as scrapped, Garner told the “SmartLess” podcast that it was still set to be produced.
According to her, “That’s supposed to still happen.” Regarding going for the role, Garner revealed, “I kind of just wanted to see if I could do it, because I wasn’t a trained dancer and I had to learn how to dance and then dance in front of her and convince her that I can dance, basically, and sing. And sing with her!”
It’s worth noting that Garner may have been referring to the Netflix series Madonna mentioned, which is not currently in the works.
The Music Legend’s New Album Arrives In July
Madonna officially announced “Confession II” in April 2026 after signing a new contract with Warner Records in September 2025. From there, the first taste of the album arrived with the song “I Feel So Free,” released on April 18.
Since then, Madonna has released the singles “Bring Your Love,” a duet with Sabrina Carpenter, and the most recent offering, “Love Sensation.” The album will be released on July 3.
