Britney Spears’ Movie Is Happening & Here’s Who Fans Want To Play Her

There’s only one Britney Spears, but there’s about to be another. On Aug. 1, Universal Pictures announced it landed the rights to Spears’ 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me, confirming that the pop star’s life story will be turned into a movie. Spears confirmed her involvement in the biopic on social media, but it doesn’t seem likely that she’ll take an on-screen role. So naturally, the question every fan has been asking is which actor has what it takes to play Spears. And a few options have been gaining a lot of traction online.

Details about this upcoming movie are still scarce. In The Woman in Me, Spears opened up about dark moments in her life that fans never knew about, including a difficult abortion while dating Justin Timberlake and her fractured relationship with her family. Given how prominently Timberlake and Spears’ family are discussed in the book, they will almost assuredly be front and center in the movie, too. But of course, the casting choice that has fans most worked up is the lead role itself.

In the days since the film was announced, Spears’ fans have gone back and forth trying to find an actor that can perfectly capture the pop star’s cheery charisma, Southern twang, and resilient spirit. Oh, and some singing skills are a plus, too. Here are some of the names that keep coming up.

Olivia Holt

One of the most popular fan-castings has been Cruel Summer star Olivia Holt, and it’s easy to see why. Like Spears, Holt grew up in Mississippi and the surrounding area, and she got her start as a Disney child actor. The 27-year-old is also a pop star in her own right, having released four EPs and recently making her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago.

Holt may just be the perfect actor to really relate to Spears.

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts may not be the very first name that comes to mind for this part, but there’s already some talk that she may be in consideration. Shortly after the movie was announced, Spears’ longtime assistant Felicia Culotta told TMZ that Roberts is who she thinks should play the part.

Though Roberts is best known for campy, over-the-top projects like Scream Queens, she has shown off some musical skills before in her first major acting job on Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous.

Tate McRae

If there’s a Gen Z successor to Spears’ stage presence, it just might be Tate McRae. The “Greedy” singer’s jaw-dropping dance moves have already been compared to Spears’ several times, plus she’s been in contact with the princess of pop recently, having been interviewed by her in Gen V magazine this past summer.

The only issue? McRae hasn’t had a major acting role yet. It remains to be seen if the singer is even interested in signing onto a movie.

Millie Bobby Brown

Most of the actors being discussed are wishes from fans, but there’s one superstar who’s been lobbying to play Spears in a biopic for years. Back in 2022, Millie Bobby Brown revealed her dream to portray Spears in a movie of her life.

“I want to play a real person and I think for me, Britney. [It] would be Britney Spears. I think her story, first of all, resonates with me,” Brown said at the time. “Just growing up in the public eye, watching her videos, watching interviews of her when she was younger ... I see the scramble for words [in her interviews] and I don’t know her, but when I look at pictures of her, I feel like I could tell her story in the right way.”

The British actor has also previously shown off her convincing Southern accent on social media.

Addison Rae

Spears was the it girl of the 2000s, so it only makes sense for the it girl of today to take on this role. Addison Rae has been very vocal about her love of Spears, including her very memorable walk while reading The Woman in Me right after it was published. Clearly, Rae is already well-versed in this movie’s source material.

Dove Cameron

From Disney beginnings to becoming a risqué pop star in her own right, Dove Cameron knows a thing or two about Spears’ career trajectory. Not only that, but there’s some BTS tea that could really help Cameron get this part. The Woman in Me film is being directed by Jon M. Chu, and Cameron recently shared she auditioned for Chu for his Wicked movies. Though she didn’t get that part, she could very well be at the top of Chu’s mind when casting for this movie.

Sydney Sweeney

In terms of physical similarities, Sydney Sweeney has been brought up by quite a few fans. The Euphoria breakout hasn’t really shown off her singing voice in past roles, although fans have been impressed by rare musical clips she’s posted. Maybe this movie could be just the thing for Sweeney to show off an entirely new talent.

Madelyn Cline

Like Sweeney, Madelyn Cline is a popular pick among Spears fans due to her resemblance to the pop star. The Outer Banks star also has the benefit of sharing Spears’ Southern roots (she’s from South Carolina), and she can definitely relate to the romantic drama Spears had to deal, since her love life is also closely monitored by the public.