Madonna limited series in early development by Netflix. Julia Garner expected to star

[monketsharona 89,809]

Global music superstar Madonna has partnered with global streamer Netflix to tell her story. A limited series about her life and music is in early development at Netflix, with Madonna and Shawn Levy, whose 21 Laps has an exclusive TV overall deal at the platform, executive producing, Deadline has learned. A rep for Netflix declined comment.

The duo, who had been discussing the project for awhile, are starting from scratch: the biographical limited series is not related to the Madonna feature biopic which was previously in development at Universal with three-time Emmy winner Julia Garner as the choice to play the Queen of Pop.

It is early days of development on the TV series, so it is unclear yet which period in Madonna’s decades-spanning career it will focus on. Still, Garner has remained engaged — she famously appeared alongside Madonna on stage at the singer’s Celebration Tour in December 2023 — and I hear the Ozark star would most likely play Madonna, subject of availability as she doesn’t have a deal. (Garner would also feel right at home at Netflix where she just signed on her for her third series, an FTX limited series, following her turns on Inventing Anna and Ozark.)

https://deadline.com/2025/05/madonna-shawn-levy-biopic-limited-series-netflix-1236390151/

[monketsharona 89,809]

The fact it went from a movie on big screen to a limited series on Netflix 

[Gatlyn 1,361]

This is great news. There’s no way to fit her career into a 2 hour movie. It needs to be told over several hour-long episodes. 

[Murakami27 7,812]

A tv series likely works better than a movie. But biopics are so uninteresting, I don’t care who it’s about. 

[4th Time Around 5,006]

This is good news to me. Madonna has done far too much to fit into a single movie and the greatest hits biopic format is so tired and predictable anyway

[weed 77,989]

yaasssss Julia Garner is so talented, top 5 among new hollywood. Love it!! Wish it was an HBO miniseries if anything

[Gatlyn 1,361]

10 minutes ago, weed said:

yaasssss Julia Garner is so talented, top 5 among new hollywood. Love it!! Wish it was an HBO miniseries if anything

Agreed! No one should play Madonna besides Julia Garner 

[elijahfan 27,302]

Excited for this to finally see the light of day.

[spookytanooki 1,556]

5 hours ago, monketsharona said:

The fact it went from a movie on big screen to a limited series on Netflix 

The fact that I'm more likely to watch a 10 hour long limited series, rather than a 2 hour movie 

 

(and I dont even like Madonna)

[Bronco 21,248]

Honestly the only way I'd be interested (ill watch regardless lol) is if its done Rocket Man style.

Its more fun if it plays like a west end juke box musical with aspects played up to make it larger. 

[4th Time Around 5,006]

This series seems to be in the very early stages of it's creation so I'm guessing she's gonna drop M15 and do another tour before it see's the light of day.

Madonna is a living legend with nothing to prove at this point and all I hope is that her next album is good music and critically well received that way she can go out on an artistic high if she chooses to retire afterwards.

[Ilia Malinin 2,458]

4 hours ago, Gatlyn said:

Agreed! No one should play Madonna besides Julia Garner 

the resemblance is insane, such a good pick!

[Bully Pop 235]

5 hours ago, Gatlyn said:

Agreed! No one should play Madonna besides Julia Garner 

The way I googled her and this is essentially the first pic that popped up haha.

That said (in regards to another post), I don’t think the fact it’s going to Netflix is necessarily a bad thing, it could be that there’s so much story that needs to be told that an hour and a half to two hour movie just can’t cut the story that’s been told. There have been some dubious flops lately, but there are still strong shows and movies. It’s not so much a Netflix issue inherently, as it is a director or producer issue. 

[PSYCHOSHTICK 3,014]

13 hours ago, Gatlyn said:

This is great news. There’s no way to fit her career into a 2 hour movie. It needs to be told over several hour-long episodes. 

I’d love an episode per album

1. Pre-fame — childhood without a mother, moving to New York, the early days, New York art scene, first band (childhood-1981)

2. Madonna, Like A Virgin — newly found fame, stardom (1982-1985)

3. True Blue — marriage and divorce (1986-1988)

4. Like A Prayer, Vogue, Blond Ambition, Justify My Love — mega stardom, controversy (1989-1991)

5. Erotica, SEX book — more controversy (“her career is over”) (1992-1993)

6. Bedtime Stories, Evita, pregnancy (1994-1997)

7. Ray of Light — re-enlightenment, motherhood, meeting Guy (1998-1999)

8. Music, American Life — marriage and pregnancy 2, moving to the UK (2000-2004)

9. Confessions on a Dancefloor, Hard Candy, MDNA — divorce 2, aging, finding herself again

[Creyk 18,487]

It being a series instead of a movie shows they care about quality and telling a full story, instead of making a cash-grab. This is a GOOD thing, so I don't want to see shade about it.