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Universal Pictures acquires the rights to Britney Spears’ bestselling memoir, ‘The Woman In Me,’ with ‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu attached to develop.
Britney Spears’ massively successful memoir, “The Woman In Me,” is set to become the biggest biopic of 2025 with Universal Pictures securing the rights. Jon M. Chu, whose adaptation of “Wicked” is about to be released through the studio, is attached to the project to develop and direct.
The Oscar-nominated producer Marc Platt, Chu’s collaborator on “Wicked” and the producer of “La La Land,” is also attached. A source close to the deal clocks the rights deal in the eight figures, with rights to Spears’ extensive music catalog included in the arrangement.
“Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt,” Britney teased on Twitter the day before the official announcement. “He’s always made my favorite movies… stay tuned!”
The book itself has been a source of fierce competition in the filmmaking industry. Initially, there was reported interest from Brad Pitt’s Plan B, Margot Robbie, and Shonda Rhimes. Since then, Sony, Warner Brothers, Fox, Disney, and Netflix have all been identified as champing at the bit for the project.
Universal Pictures already has a pretty stellar track record in the musical biopic space with hits like “8 Mile” and “Straight Outta Compton.” The studio also has a Snoop Dogg biopic, a Prince “music-inspired” film, and a movie inspired by Pharrell Williams’ childhood neighborhood that are all either in development or have recently wrapped production.
Spears’ memoir was initially released in October 2023, recounting the star’s rise to fame and her highly controversial 13-year conservatorship. The book also describes her relationship and breakup with Justin Timberlake, and reveals that she had an abortion while they were dating over 20 years ago.
“The Woman In Me” has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States alone, having sold 1.1 million copies in its first week. The critically acclaimed memoir became the fastest selling in Simon & Schuster’s history, as well as hitting No. 1 on the New York Times’ bestseller lists in all formats, hardcover, audio, and ebook alike.
