As Chu prepares to turn Spears’ life story into a movie, he’s just released his own memoir, ‘Viewfinder,’ about growing up in the South Bay and is promoting the release of his film adaptation of ‘Wicked’ in November.
Director Jon M. Chu, whose film adaptation of “Wicked” could be one of the big movie hits of the 2024 holiday season, has landed another high-profile Hollywood gig: developing and directing a feature film about the life of Britney Spears, based on her best-selling memoir, “The Woman in Me.”
News of Chu’s next big project came via a report Thursday by film industry newsletter, The Ankler. Spears also shared news of the “secret project” on social media.
Universal Pictures won the rights to Spears’ memoir after a highly competitive bidding war, Variety reported. Universal also produced “Wicked,” based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. “Wicked” is due to be released in movie theaters on Nov. 22, the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Spears’ book has sold more than 2.5 copies in the United States alone, Variety reported. The audiobook — read by Academy Award-nominated actor Michelle Williams, with an introduction by Spears — was the fastest-selling in Simon & Schuster’s history. The book chronicles her rise as a pop superstar and major cultural figure, from her days on the “Mickey Mouse Club” through her career as a Grammy Award-winning solo artist. It also deals with her highly publicized and scrutinized conservatorship case and delves into her difficult personal relationships with ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake and with her family, aspects of which could be viewed as predatory, Variety also reported.
