Jon M Chu Debunks Rumors of Ariana Grande and Millie Bobby Brown Eyeing Britney Spears Role in Upcoming Biopic

Jon M Chu sets the record straight for Britney Spears' biopic casting rumors about Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, and Millie Bobby Brown battling for the role.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 25, 2025 | 07:17 PM GMT | 6K

CC: Getty Images

Filmmaker Jon M. Chu has shut down rumors of casting for his potential Britney Spears biopic, stating that the film is still in the development stages.

Rumors recently suggested that pop singers Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown were competing for the title role — something Chu denied with conviction.

Going on social media, the director of Wicked said no casting talks have been had. He pointed out that the rumors sound thrilling, but the production is far from that point.

In response to a post speculating that Grande, Carpenter, and Brown have been battling for the role of the princess of pop, Chu wrote on X, "None of this is true."

He further explained, "Sounds exciting, but have not had one conversation about casting this movie yet. We are way too early in development. Sorry."

Universal Pictures is behind the biopic of Spears, which will be directed by Chu, who just collaborated with Grande on the award-winning musical film Wicked.

The studio purchased the rights to Spears's best-selling memoir The Woman in Me, which sold 2.5 million copies in the U.S., to turn into a movie exploring the life of the music icon and her journey into superstardom.

Although the narrative direction of the biopic is still not certain, fans are already speculating who could play the pop icon, with the favorite contenders being Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Millie Bobby Brown. However, Chu has dismissed such speculations.

Chu previously spoke about what making the biopic means to him in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in November last year. He said, "She represents a generation of people growing up in the 2000s and late '90s, and she has a story that deserves to be told properly. There's a lot about us in it."

At that time, he had revealed that they had not written the script yet or even had a writer on board. Chu said, "But in this initial conception, I think it's a lot about how we treat people, young people, stars that we think we own, women, mothers. There's a lot of things in there that I would love to explore."

With Chu's Wicked: For Good, the second stage adaptation of the blockbuster musical, scheduled to open this November, chances are the Britney Spears project won't be accelerated until after his present obligations conclude. However, fans are still desperately waiting for the final casting news.