Although details of the production timeline and wider cast are still under wraps at this point, we do know that Madonna has been very involved in the process of making her biopic.

“I have a very long script that is really hard for me to make shorter,” she told Variety in a recent interview.

“I’ve been whittling away at it, but it’s like hacking off my limbs. I’ve had an extraordinary life, I must make an extraordinary film.”

Madonna went on to explain that she felt strongly about taking the directorial reins on the movie after facing competition from male directors who wanted to control her narrative.

“It was also a preemptive strike because a lot of people were trying to make movies about me,” she continued. “Mostly misogynistic men. So I put my foot in the door and said, ‘No one’s going to tell my story, but me.’”

Here’s everything we know so far about Madonna’s upcoming musical biopic starring Julia Garner