Madonna to direct and co-write her own biopic with Diablo Cody

It's not everyday that someone directs their own biopic, but that's just what Madonna is setting out to do. The iconic singer is slated to direct the story of her own life for Universal Pictures from a script that she is co-writing with Diablo Cody.

The search is now on for a young actress who can step into Madonna's shoes for a story that will follow the singer's rise to chart-topping fame. "I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer – a human being, trying to make her way in this world," said Madonna in a statement. "The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision." Madonna has previously described the project as being "about my struggle as an artist trying to survive in a man's world as a woman." Madonna will also produce the film alongside Amy Pascal, who said that the film is "an absolute labor of love for me. I have known Madonna since we made A League of Their Own together, and I can’t imagine anything more thrilling than collaborating with her and Diablo on bringing her true-life story to the big screen with Donna and our partners at Universal." In her own statement, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Donna Langley said:

Madonna is the ultimate icon, humanitarian, artist and rebel. With her singular gift of creating art that is as accessible as it is boundary-pushing, she has shaped our culture in a way very few others have. It’s an incredible honor for everyone at Universal to work alongside her, Diablo, and Amy to bring audiences and dedicated fans around the world her unvarnished story for the first time.

It's not complete unheard of for the subject of a biopic to have a hand in its production, as the surviving members of Queen were involved with BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY and Elton John served as an executive producer on ROCKETMAN, but actually directing and co-writing your own story is an entirely different thing.