Jon M. Chu denies Britney Spears biopic casting rumours

Jon M. Chu is once more pushing back on speculation about who will play Britney Spears in his upcoming biopic, making clear the film remains far from the casting stage. 

Speaking at the opening gala of the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles on Saturday, the Wicked director confirmed he's seen glimpses of the developing script from writer Liz Meriwether, calling it "incredible, profound, beautiful," before catching himself. 

"That's all I can say about it. You already got me to say too much."

Chu reiterated that no casting decisions have been made despite ongoing fan speculation. 

"I get emails every day, hundreds of emails from people all around the world," he said. "I am not even thinking about casting right now. We're just trying to get the story right." 

Asked whether he's been spending time with Spears herself, Chu demurred, "I cannot say anything right now." 

He was more forthcoming about his personal connection to her music, noting he's currently introducing his children to her catalog. 

"I have a lot of favorite Britney songs, but I would say the one that I'm educating my children about Britney right now is, …Baby One More Time, of course. But I like some of the early, early [songs] like Soda Pop, which is kind of crazy, or E-mail My Heart. I'm starting them from the very beginning right now."

The film is based on Spears's bestselling 2023 memoir The Woman in Me, with Marc Platt producing under his deal with Universal Pictures, which acquired the rights in a competitive auction that same year. 

Chu has consistently declined to confirm any casting speculation since the project's announcement, having similarly shut down rumours involving names like Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Millie Bobby Brown in the past.