MANILA, Philippines — Actress Emma Roberts admitted it was a dream of hers to portray pop singer Britney Spears in the latter's planned biopic.
Earlier this month Universal Pictures bought the movie rights to Spears' best-selling memoir "The Woman in Me" with "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon Chu attached to develop and direct the film.
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"The Woman In Me" laid bare the troubled singer's journey from child star to global pop phenomenon, as well as her subsequent high-profile public breakdown and legal battles with her father.
Full of criticism of her controlling family and an industry that mercilessly devours its talent, the book sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States alone following its publication last October.
A few days after Universal's acquiring, Spears' former longtime assistant Felicia Culotta told TMZ she thinks Roberts is a good casting choice for the singer.
Culotta also suggested Drew Barrymore to portray her and Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet as Justin Timberlake, whom Spears dated for a time.
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In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Annabel Iwegbue brought up Culotta's comments to Roberts.
"I was like, 'I love her assistant.' I mean, it's my true dream to play Britney Spears. It's a rumor, but I hope maybe it'll come true," Robert said.
The actress added she locked herself in her room listening to Spears' 2003 album "In the Zone" which contained the hits "Toxic" and "Everytime," "I cannot leave this room until I memorize every word."
"I sing Britney to my son in the bath all the time. I'm always like, 'God, he must think I'm so weird.' That's some millennial parenting," Roberts also said.
Roberts was a child star like Spears, breaking out on the Nickelodeon show "Unfabulous" which led to roles in "Aquamarine," "Nancy Drew," "Hotel for Dogs," and "Valentine's Day."
She then transitioned to more mature roles in "Scream 4," "We're the Millers," "Palo Alto," and several Ryan Murphy projects like "Scream Queens" and "American Horror Story."
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