The Britney Spears biopic already has a scriptwriter

The biographical film of the princess of pop, Britney Spearsfound its screenwriter.

Elizabeth Meriwether will be in charge of writing the script for the studio's biopic Universal Picturesthe director John M. Chu (Wicked, Crazy Rich Asians, Now You See Me 2), and the producer Marc Platt (La La Land, Wicked, Cruella). Meriwether is the creator of the sitcom New Girl, and co-creator of Dying for Sex.

According to a Page Six report, Platt and Chu have begun writing a draft, but now Meriwether will be in charge of finishing the adaptation.

The film project is based on Spears' revealing memoir, The Woman in Mepublished in October 2023. The book sold 1.1 million copies in its first week alone. The audiobook, narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams (who later starred in Dying for Sex), accompanied by an introduction by Spears, was the biggest seller in Simon & Schuster's history, and was the best-selling audiobook on Spotify in 2023.

Since its publication in October 2023, the book has made headlines on numerous occasions. Being one of the most replicated stories, her relationship with Justin Timberlake.

News about the development of a biopic about Spears was announced in August 2024, with the participation of Chu and Platt. The singer echoed the news at that time, with a message on social networks that said:

“I'm excited to share with my fans that I've been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He's always made my favorite movies…stay tuned.”

Spears debuted her first album in 1998, with her first single “…Baby One More Time” becoming an immediate hit. It was awarded platinum record 14 times. In 2003 he tried his luck in cinema with the film Crossroadsand in 2005 he won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for the single “Toxic”.

Meriwether, for her part, won a Writers Guild Award (WGA) for her work on the FX miniseries, Dying for Sexwhich he co-created with Kim Rosenstock, and a Producers Guild Award (PGA) for the Hulu miniseries, The Dropoutwhich chronicles the rise and fall from grace of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos. He also received four Emmy nominations for his work on both series.

His breakthrough film script came in 2011 with the popular rom-com No Strings Attachedstarring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Meriwether had a double celebration that same year, as Fox premiered the also popular comedy series New Girlstarring Zooey Deschanel, which aired for seven seasons.

The project marks a new biopic in the history of Universal Pictures. The studio has produced biographical films such as Straight Outta Compton about the NWA group, 8 Mile by Eminem, and one of the biggest box office hits of 2026, Michael by Michael Jackson.