THR is reporting that Universal Pictures has snapped up the rights to Elyse Hollander’s Black List script Blond Ambition, a biopic of pop superstar Madonna.
The film will be set in the early 1980s in New York and follows Madonna Louise Ciccone as she works on her first album, struggling to get it released while navigating fame, romance, and a music industry that views women as disposable. She would subsequently go on to enjoy a stellar career, becoming the highest-selling female artist of all time.
Hollander’s script topped the 2016 Black List, the industry ranking of Hollywood’s hottest unproduced screenplays. Universal has attached Michael De Luca (Fifty Shades of Grey) to produce the film alongside Brett Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment.
Following the news, Madonna took to Instagram to voice her displeasure over the project, stating that: “Nobody knows what I know and what I have seen. Only I can tell my story. Anyone else who tries is a charlatan and a fool [who’s looking] for instant gratification without doing the work. This is a disease in our society.”
Originally published April 26, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
