Ozzy Osbourne might be the Prince of Darkness, and George Strait might be the King of Country Music, but when it comes to the Princess of Pop – it’s all Britney Spears. First grabbing the spotlight during the 1990s, Spears went far beyond the set of The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. She was the voice behind iconic songs like “Baby One More Time” and “Oops…I Did It Again.” Considered one of the best-selling music artists of all time, it only made sense to turn her career into a biopic. But when needing a star to portray Spears, Tate McRae’s name was a topic of discussion.
Back in November 2024, Jon M. Chu announced he had closed negotiations to direct a new biopic surrounding the career of Spears. The film would dive into details shared in the singer’s memoir, The Woman in Me. As for Chu, he proved himself more than capable of handling films surrounding music. He directed In the Heights, Wicked, and Wicked: For Good.
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With a director named, producers turned their attention to finding the right person for Spears. Although only a suggestion, McRae was asked about the possibility of landing the role when speaking with Rolling Stone. She promised, “I need to take an acting lesson before I’d even consider ever doing anything.”
[RELATED: On This Day in 2001, Britney Spears Hit the VMAs Stage With an Enormous Python]
Tate McRae Labels Britney Spears The “Blueprint”
Even if McRae were to take acting classes, she saw herself as the complete opposite of Spears. “Also, I feel like I look nothing like her or sound nothing like her, so I don’t know if I’d be a great fit.”
Although not looking to land on the silver screen as Spears, McRae struggled when it came to being compared to the pop icon. She admitted, “It’s such a crazy statement because no one can compare to Britney Spears. It’s like comparing someone to Michael Jackson. That’s the blueprint!”
While being placed alongside Spears was a compliment, McRae believed there was another person more suited for the role. With producers still on the search for the perfect fit, the question now turns to who can truly capture the legacy of the Princess of Pop.
(Photo by Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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