Everybody wants a piece of Britney Spears. Lifetime, the female-centric cable network has just announced that is developing a TV movie about Britney Spears’ life just days before her album Glory is set to drop and her much-anticipated performance at the 2016 MTV VMAs. The two-hour biopic, titled Britney , is set to air in early 2017 and will focus on her childhood and her career highs and lows, reports Rolling Stone .
Lifetime describes Britney as “the tumultuous true story of her rise to fame, fall from grace and triumphant resurrection, but the cable news network has a tendency to focus on the negative and will surely spend a great deal of time on her troubled relationships and inner turmoil . The “Make Me” singer wants nothing to do with it, and the made-for-TV-movie does not have her blessing, her rep told Us Weekly .
ICYMI: @LifetimeTV to give @BritneySpears the biopic treatment: https://t.co/BMTnoO9Bsl pic.twitter.com/YwhpJqrPLX
— Yahoo TV (@YahooTV) August 25, 2016
“Britney Spears will not be contributing in any way, shape or form to the Lifetime biopic, nor does it have her blessing.”
The biopic will surely delve into her humble Lousiana roots and her stint on the Mickey Mouse Club where her roller coaster relationship with Justin Timberlake began. The network also promises to touch on her troubles following her parents’ divorce, her relationships with Jason Alexander and Kevin Federline, and her mental breakdown in 2007.
Australian actress Natasha Bassett ( Hail, Caesar! ) is set to play Britney and the project will be produced by Asylum Entertainment, written by Anna-Marie Hess and Leslie Libman ( Manson’s Lost Girls ), and produced by executive producers Jonathan Koch, Steve Michaels, and Joan Harrison. Production is set to begin Sept. 19 in Vancouver for an early 2017 premiere.
Coming for ya, Apple Music Festival???? Performing at the Roundhouse on September 27th #AMF16 https://t.co/sLYMax6EEm pic.twitter.com/ye44kZPeYz
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) August 25, 2016
While we wonder why it took so long for a Britney Spears movie to come along in the first place, Britney will make an appearance on a “Carpool Karaoke” segment on The Late Late Show With James Corden on Thursday, release her ninth studio album, Glory, on Friday , then perform on the VMAs on Sunday. Additionally, she just extended her residency at Planet Hollywood and she is slated to performs at the Apple’s Music Festival in London on September 27 to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The pop diva’s busy schedule is a clear indication that she has indeed achieved a comeback, as she is very much in demand.
Britney Spears is also actively supporting the residents of her hometown of Louisiana by urging fans to donate to help relief efforts for a chance to meet her at the VMAs and win her VMA dress.
. @britneyspears is donating her #VMAs dress to help flood relief efforts for her home state of Louisiana https://t.co/F5eVJAQHmN
— MTV News (@MTVNews) August 24, 2016
Some fans are upset that Glory was leaked early and some critics are upset with the album in general. Billboard reports that the 17-track deluxe edition of Glory was leaked online Saturday night, putting a damper on RCA’s planned rollout of the album. While Billboard’s review of the album was generally positive, calling it “livelier than Britney Jean, ” The New York Times said that while her processed voice has returned to the forefront, she should have focused on using her life experiences to bond with her listeners and less on being a “sexpot.”
In addition to Britney , Lifetime also plans a Beaches reboot and movies about Robert Durst and JonBenet Ramsey. Asylum Entertainment’s credits include Ring of Fire and The Kennedys miniseries. Will you watch Lifetime’s Britney biopic now that Britney Spears is not happy about it and won’t give it her blessing? Sound off in the comment section.
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