Lifetime TV has announced a new Britney Spears biopic starring Natasha Bassett on the eve of the singer's new album Glory. Bassett, who has acted in Hail, Cesar, will play the role of Spears in the TV movie, entitled Britney. Lifetime network reportedly described the biopic as the “tumultious true story” of the circumstances surrounding her road to fame, her breakdown and comeback.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Asylum Entertainment will be producing the movie, which is the company behind The Kennedys and Ring of Fire. Anne-Marie Hass is on board and will be writing the movie script with Lesley Libman, who was behind Manson’s Lost Girls. The executive producers on the project will be Steve Michaels, Jonathan Koch and Joan Harrison. Production on the film is slated to begin September 19 and Britney will see a 2017 premiere.
Spears is not involved with the project and a representative for the singer released a statement that read, “Britney Spears will not be contributing in any way, shape or form to the Lifetime biopic nor does it have her blessing.”
In other Spears news, the pop star is slated to perform at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards and is the second confirmed performer. An appearance at the VMAs is a major milestone in the singer’s comeback and it will be the first time that she has graced the stage in more than a decade. For the show, Spears will be performing her latest song “Make Me” off of upcoming album Glory with rapper G-Eazy.
The singer is a veteran of sorts for the VMAs and has received 28 nominations and won 5 times in past years. A video created by experimental L.A. director Radical Friend and includes clips of her “Baby One More Time/Tearing Up My Heart” Medley with *N SYNC in 1999 and her infamous performance with Madonna in 2003 according to Billboard.
