So, should there be a Britney Spears biopic?

In short, no. The simple fact of the matter is that Spears herself is opposed to the idea, and even if she weren’t able to say so, lack of control is something that has been imposed on her in various forms since the beginning of her stardom.

It would be too easy to turn the complex, dark, and grandiose odyssey that is Britney Spears’ life into something messy and clumsy in the wrong hands — something that has been done so often with the existence of complex and dark women.

As Millie Bobby Brown said, any story should be told in Spears’s way and in her way alone. Any biographical undertaking should be at the mercy of her full consultation and permission. It’s not impossible. There have been artists able to keep their hands on the creative wheel when it comes to their own history, such as Elton John, Madonna, and Cher.

And if you’re wondering where the line is – the line that separates the acceptable biopics from the non-acceptable, the tacky from the valuable, then there are only three questions we need to ask ourselves:

1. How much input does the subject have?

2. Is it telling us anything new?

3. Is it an earnest exploration of a notable life, or just a money-grabbing rollercoaster ride through someone’s trauma?

We know enough about Spears and what she’s been through to know that she should be left alone. What could a fictionalised script tell us any differently?

Britney Spears biopic: Why a fictionalised telling of the popstar’s life isn't something we want or need