A Britney Spears biopic is moving forward at Universal, we've learned. WireImage The hotly anticipated Britney Spears biopic is moving forward with the hiring of screenwriter Liz Meriwether to pen an early draft, Page Six Hollywood has exclusively learned — despite reports that Universal Pictures might’ve been pumping the brakes on the project.
Meriwether — who has an impressive track record in both film (“No Strings Attached”) and television (“New Girl,” “Dying For Sex” and “The Dropout”) — joins the “Wicked” duo of director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt to round out a formidable trifecta.
Universal and the filmmakers could capitalize on the recent success of “Michael,” which became the highest grossing biopic of all time, surpassing “Oppenheimer” with $977 million worldwide as of late June.
Platt and Chu have reportedly started writing a draft, but Meriwether will now be tasked with finishing the adaptation of Spears’ bestselling memoir, “The Woman in Me.” Spears’ book was the fastest-selling memoir in Simon & Schuster history, landing atop the New York Times bestseller list across multiple platforms after selling more than 3 million copies. It sold over 6 million worldwide.
The well-reviewed 2023 memoir was raw and unsparing — revealing elements of Spears’ childhood in Louisiana, her early ascent to teenage stardom, her now-infamous past relationships including her three-year romance with Justin Timberlake and the dark realities of the conservatorship imposed upon her by the courts and by her parents.
The book was catnip to Hollywood producers: There was interest from Shonda Rhimes, Brad Pitt’s Plan B and Margot Robbie at LuckyChap. Sony, Warner Bros., Fox, Disney and Netflix all vied for the project before Universal landed it.
But the pairing of Chu and Meriwether on a project built on what certainly appears to be gold-plated IP seems like a slam dunk.
Antoine Fuqua’s music-filled film “Michael,” which centered on the life of Michael Jackson, was also the second highest-grossing release of 2026 in a year when Hollywood spin-offs in the “Star Wars” and “Supergirl” franchises fell flat, and even the Minions looked mortal.
Spears’ personal life has, of course, made nearly as much noise as her string of No. 1 albums, from “…Baby One More Time” to “Oops!… I Did It Again.” In 2021 she was released from her highly controversial 13-year conservatorship that was overseen by her father, Jamie Spears.
Unlike some other more controversial stars, Spears’ struggles have been more a result of mental health and bouts of erratic behavior that occur both in real life and on her social media feeds. (The 44-year-old is currently serving 12 months of probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving after being arrested in March for a DUI.)
In recent years, there’s been a noticeable shift in the public’s perception of Spears. What many now consider cruel and unfair treatment at the hands of the media in the early aughts has helped push public sentiment of Spears to one of empathy and support.
It is a rich and complicated story of an extremely talented performer who came to public consciousness at a young age that Meriweather will now be tasked with making sense of.
A spokesperson for Universal declined to comment. Meriwether is repped at WME.
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