In yet another power move, Madonnawill be sharing her life story HER way. If you're a fan of the OG material girl you will know that a musical biopic has been in the works since 2020. In an interview with Variety she explained that she is going to be very involved in the creation of it. The Queen Of Pop is directing and co-writing the forthcoming film with Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody. Amy Pascal (Ghostbusters, Little Women) will serve as a producer.
'I have a very long script that is really hard for me to make shorter,' she told Variety. 'I’ve been whittling away at it, but it’s like hacking off my limbs. I’ve had an extraordinary life, I must make an extraordinary film.' Madonna went on to explain that she felt strongly about taking the directorial reins on the movie after facing competition from male directors who wanted to control her narrative. 'It was also a preemptive strike because a lot of people were trying to make movies about me,' she said. 'Mostly misogynistic men. So I put my foot in the door and said, "No one’s going to tell my story, but me."'
It’s not the first time the star has spoken out about wanting to take her biopic into her own hands. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in October 2021, Madonna said she felt strongly about being involved in the creative process after reading a script that misinterpreted her story.
'The reason I’m doing it is because a bunch of people have tried to write movies about me, but they’re always men,' she told Jimmy. 'I read that Universal was doing a script… they wanted my blessing, and I read it. It was the most hideous, superficial crap I’ve ever read. This [has] happened a couple of times. So, finally, I just threw down the gauntlet.'
Too right, Madonna! Hollywood still has a sexism problem — especially when it comes to female movie directors. As reported in Forbes - after reaching new highs in 2020, the percentage of women directing top-grossing films declined since 2021, according to the Celluloid Ceiling Report from San Diego State University.
Not only is this a discouraging setback for female directors, but it also impacts the number of women in key behind-the-scenes roles and the number of female characters portrayed in the films we watch. The Celluloid Ceiling Report reveals that women made up 12% of directors working on the 100 top-grossing films in 2021, down from 16% in 2020. When expanded to the 250 top-grossing films, women represented 17% of directors in 2021, down from 18% in 2020 and although the final 2022 figures have not yet been released it's not looking like a good trend.
The lack of diversity doesn't leave a lot of room for women to tell their own stories or be in charge of female narratives. Instead, it leaves the door open for unrealistic depictions of women through the male gaze.
In recent years Madonna has faced backlash for owning her sexuality - particularly from men. Piers Morgan and Nelly, we're looking at you! Both of them took to social media and harshly called out Madonnaout for her sexy Instagram posts. Madonna releasing some risqué pictures is perhaps the least surprising concept ever; lest we forget, the pop star has been hailed as a sex icon since the 80s, but the minute she started to sexualise herself suddenly men had a huge problem.
Remember when Madonna was criticised in 2019 for her ‘young and sexy' performance at The Billboard Music Awards. Speaking about the matter, she said 'I mean a lot of people have said, "Oh, that’s so pathetic, I hope she’s not still doing that in 10 years." I mean, who cares? What if I am? I mean, Is there a rule? Are you just supposed to die when you’re 40? That’s basically what everybody wants people to do.’ In recent years Madonna has had to fight a sexist, ageist culture that once uplifted her - more than any of her male counterparts will ever have to fight against. By directing her own biopic she is taking back the control and we're here for it!