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Louise Thomas
Editor
Britney Spears appears to have claimed that director Jon Chu’s forthcoming film is “fictional” and not, in fact, a biopic based on her life.
The singer shared a cryptic message on Instagram on Friday (30 August), which was somewhat buried behind an illustration of a woman with two cats.
“The project I might be doing isn’t a biopic story … it’s a fictional musical where I play an extremely intelligent character !!!,” Spears wrote.
She added: “It’s flattering to be in such good company like Jon Chu !!!”
Last month, it was reported that Universal Pictures had won the rights to the pop star’s critically praised memoir The Woman in Me,with Chu attached to direct.
Spears, 42, signed one of the biggest book deals of all time when she received $15m (£11.4m) to write the autobiography in 2022.
The tome documented her rise to fame in the late Nineties, being hounded by the media, mental health struggles and Noughties comeback, as well as her battle to be freed from the involuntary conservatorship that saw her personal and business affairs controlled by her father, Jamie Spears, from 2008 until 2021.
The Woman in Me became an instant best-seller upon its release and sparked a fierce bidding war between movie studios, which was ultimately won by Universal.
Chu was regarded by industry insiders as a smart choice for the project, given his credits include the forthcoming film adaptation of the musical Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, as well as the concert movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, and Step Up 2: The Streets.
According toVariety, Chu is working with Marc Platt, the producer behind a number of Disney’s recent live-action films including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Cruella and the forthcoming Snow White adaptation starring Rachel Zegler.
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Spears wrote on X/Twitter in early August that she and Platt had been working on a “secret project” together: “Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He’s always made my favorite movies … stay tuned,” she said.
In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Hollywood actor Emma Roberts shut down rumours that she had been pitched by Spears’s longtime assistant, Felicia Culotta, to play the pop star.
“I was like, I love her assistant. I mean, it’s my true dream to play Britney Spears,” Roberts said.
“It’s a rumor, but I hope maybe it’ll come true. I mean, I remember I locked myself in my room and listened to [2003’s] In the Zone and said, ‘I cannot leave this room until I memorise every word.’”
The Independent has contacted Chu’s representative for comment.
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