‘This is a story about a girl named… Britney’
This summer, it was announced that US channel Lifetime – spiritual home of the guilty pleasure TV movie – are producing a Britney Spears biopic. Set to air on the channel next year, the two-hour drama will chart the ‘tumultuous true story’ that we’ve seen play out in headlines and pap shots: from her early days in Louisiana to her teen idol glory days to her troubled period and ensuing comeback. Think of it as a real life, feature length version of the ‘Lucky’ video, which was itself based on Britney’s world at the time. So, so meta.
As well as the ups and downs of her career, Britney will also follow the star’s high profile relationships and marriages. Yes, that means that a fictionalised Justin Timberlake will be featuring. Essentially, it’s everything we ever hoped that Crossroads would be, but wasn’t.
The only downside is that the actual Britney Spears has been keen to distance herself from the project: her rep has been quick to inform the Mail that the singer ‘will not be contributing in any shape or form to the Lifetime biopic, nor does it have her blessing.’ Sigh.
We’ve known since August that the role of Britney Jean herself has been taken by Natasha Bassett, a 23-year-old Australian actress who recently starred in the Coen Brothers’ old Hollywood pastiche Hail, Caesar! Now, her Justin has been announced as Nathan Keyes, a relatively unknown actor who has previously had guest spots in shows like Brothers & Sisters and Glee. It’s as yet unclear whether he’ll be able to pull off the former *NSYNC boybander’s blonde curls and double denim combos, although our hopes are high.
Also joining the cast are alliterative actor and model Clayton Chitty as Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline, Kelly McCabe as childhood pal Jason Alexander (or, the one with the Vegas wedding and subsequent annulment) and Tamara Thorsen as… Jenna Dewan Tatum. What does the Step Up star and wife of Channing have to do with the life and times of Britney Spears? As a back-up dancer for *NSYNC, she’s very, very tenuously involved in the whole Britney-Justin saga – and after all, there’s nothing a Lifetime biopic loves more than a tangential celebrity cameo.
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