Madonna Biopic Series in Development at Netflix With Shawn Levy

The Queen of Pop is headed to the small screen. According to a new report by Deadline, Madonna is developing a limited biopic series at Netflix in collaboration with acclaimed producer-director Shawn Levy. This marks a significant shift from the previously announced — and now shelved — biopic film that was in the works at Universal Pictures with Ozark star Julia Garner set to portray the music icon.

The upcoming series is reportedly being developed under Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment, which holds an exclusive TV production deal with Netflix. Shawn Levy is best known for creating Stranger Things and producing the Deadpool & Wolverine films. His creative involvement adds significant weight to the project, which already promises to be one of Netflix’s most highly anticipated music-driven series in years.

The biopic series is said to be entirely separate from the halted film project that Madonna herself had been writing and planning to direct. That film had been a passion project for the pop superstar, who told Variety in 2022, “I have a very long script that is really hard for me to make shorter. I’ve been whittling away at it, but it’s like hacking off my limbs.” She added that her motivation stemmed from a desire to take control of her own narrative in the face of what she described as attempts by “misogynistic men” to tell her story for her.

Now, it seems that the biopic is finding a new home and form as a limited series with Julia Garner — a format that might better accommodate the complexity and scale of Madonna’s life and career, which spans four decades, dozens of chart-topping hits, and a profound cultural impact across music, fashion, and activism.

While Netflix has not yet confirmed the project publicly, nor shared any production timelines or casting details, there are reports that Julia Garner may still be attached in some capacity. Madonna previously hinted at the idea of reimagining the film as a television series. In a since-deleted Instagram post from November 2023, she wrote: “I realised that everything in my life is going to be challenged. I did not have a normal life. I cannot make this in the normal way.”

That statement reflects Madonna’s lifelong ethos — pushing boundaries, breaking rules, and never playing by conventional standards. With a narrative that includes her rise from New York’s underground club scene to becoming one of the most influential and controversial pop stars in history, the series has ample material to explore. Themes of fame, reinvention, resilience, and creative control will all likely be at the show’s heart.

The Madonna biopic series joins a growing list of music-focused storytelling on streaming platforms, including Netflix’s own Selena: The Series and upcoming projects about Michael Jackson and Prince in development elsewhere.

With Shawn Levy on board and Madonna herself guiding the creative vision, this project could become a definitive portrait of one of pop culture’s most enduring figures, not just chronicling her past but affirming her continued relevance in today’s entertainment landscape.