Britney Spears has a clear favorite in mind for her upcoming biopic.
A source tells In Touch that the Princess of Pop, 44, has made no secret of the fact that she believes Natalie Portman is the perfect actress to portray her in the adaptation of her best-selling memoir, The Woman in Me, which is largely focused on the singer’s decades-long conservatorship.
“To tell that story, Natalie is the right age,” the source says of the Oscar-winner, 44. “And her longtime friendship with Britney means that [she] can trust Natalie to portray her honestly.”
Universal Pictures secured the rights to turn Spears’ memoir into a movie in 2024, with Wicked director Jon M. Chu set to direct. However, as In Touch previously reported, there has been no word on when the film will start production.
“Natalie is still the first choice and she and her team are still open to the idea of joining the film,” says the source. “[But] the studio seems to be waiting to see what the returns are for Michael.”
The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, starring the King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, is set to hit theaters on Friday, April 24.
“The recent financial failures of the Amy Winehouse and Bruce Springsteen biopics gave the studio pause,” the source explains. “They just need to see evidence that there’s still life in the genre and audiences are still willing to show up in big numbers to see these kinds of movies.”
Adds the source: “If Michael is the hit people think it will be, things will move forward on the Britney move quickly.”
