Who will play Britney Spears in her biopic? The latest odds, ranked

Universal Pictures’ long-gestating Britney Spears biopic finally landed a screenwriter this summer, and UK oddsmakers are already ranking frontrunners for the lead role, with breakout star Inde Navarrette the surprise favourite.

TL;DR

• Universal brought in Liz Meriwether (“New Girl,” “The Dropout”) to write the script this summer, two years after acquiring the rights to Britney Spears’s memoir, “The Woman in Me.”
• No formal casting process has begun, and director Jon M. Chu has repeatedly played down earlier fan-casting rumours.
• UK odds compiler OLBG lists “Obsession” breakout Inde Navarrette as the current favourite at 6/4, just ahead of Millie Bobby Brown and Kylie Schultz at 2/1.
• A realistic production timeline points to filming in late 2026 or 2027, with a release unlikely before 2028.

A script, at last

It has been two years since Universal Pictures secured the film rights to Britney Spears‘s memoir, “The Woman in Me,” and this summer the studio finally locked down its screenwriter.

Liz Meriwether, the creator of “New Girl” and “The Dropout,” has been brought on to write the film, according to Variety. Meriwether said she is still early in the process of condensing Spears’s story into a two-hour feature, a shift from the longer television formats she usually writes for.

Meriwether also told Vanity Fair that Spears’s rise to fame happened during an unusually intense convergence of media attention, something she wants the script to reflect.

Where the project actually stands

Jon M. Chu, the director of “Wicked,” remains attached, with Marc Platt, the “Wicked” producer, developing the film alongside him.

Chu has repeatedly pushed back on fan-casting chatter. According to IMDb, he has said casting conversations had not begun despite persistent rumours naming stars including Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter.

With the script only now taking shape, the production is reportedly eyeing a shoot in late 2026 or 2027, according to a report by SheKnows, with a release unlikely before 2028.

The current frontrunners — and the UK odds behind them

No studio has confirmed a shortlist, but that has not stopped UK betting-odds sites from compiling their own rankings.

6/4 — odds on Inde Navarrette to land the lead role Source: OLBG, Aug. 11, 2026

Inde Navarrette, the actress behind this year’s breakout horror hit “Obsession,” currently tops the market, according to OLBG, a UK betting-odds guide. Kylie Schultz and Millie Bobby Brown share second favouritism at 2/1, with Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae and Addison Rae all priced at 3/1. Sydney Sweeney, who is separately attached to the gothic thriller “Hollow,” rounds out the board at 4/1.

The market has moved fast. As recently as July, Sabrina Carpenter was the favourite at 5/4, with Ariana Grande priced at 6/4, according to a report by Daily Nightly UK citing Gambling.com’s UK odds desk.

5/4 — Sabrina Carpenter’s odds as the July frontrunner, before the market shifted Source: Gambling.com UK, via Daily Nightly UK, July 20, 2026

It’s worth noting these are entertainment specials rather than live bookmaker markets. OLBG says its figures reflect theoretical probability from an industry expert rather than prices punters can currently stake money on.

What Spears has said

Spears has sent mixed signals about the project herself. In August 2024, she posted on X that she was working on a secretive project with Platt and asked fans to stay tuned.

She later suggested on Instagram that the film might not be a conventional biopic at all, describing it instead as a fictional musical in which she plays a highly intelligent character. It remains unclear whether that reflects the project’s real direction, according to reporting by Social Life Magazine.

For now, the only certainty is that the casting search has not begun. Whoever eventually takes the role will be stepping into a demanding part built on singing, dancing and portraying one of pop’s most scrutinised lives.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed September 1, 2026.