Yahoo Lifestyle Olivia Holt Says Playing Britney Spears in Movie Biopic ‘Would Be a Dream’ Amid Fan Casting Buzz
When it was announced that Jon M. Chu would be developing a Britney Spears biopic at Universal after the studio acquried rights to her memoir, fans immediately flooded social media with their top picks to play the pop princess.
Among the hopefuls is Olivia Holt. Like Britney, Holt, 27, is a former Disney star. She’s also a singer, releasing her debut EP, “Olvia,” in 2016.
More from Variety
I caught up with Holt on Tuesday night at a special screening of her new horror comedy, “Heart Eyes,” to find what she thinks about possibly portraying Spears. The film, from “Wicked” producer Marc Platt, will is adapted from Spears’ 2023 memoir “The Woman in Me.”
“I would be so honored to play Britney,” says Holt, who says she has yet to be contacted by Chu.
She adds, “I’m just so grateful to be in the running and around so many names and talent who are in the running for it. Just the idea that I am on people’s minds to play something as iconic as this, would be a dream.”
Other popular fan ideas include Florence Pugh, Sabrina Carpenter, Millie Bobby Brown, Sydney Sweeney, Addison Rae, Elle Fanning and Tate McRae.
Holt proved she knows her Spears music when she named her favorite songs by the “Slave 4 U” singer. “I could go way back and we can do a little ‘I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.’ That’s kind of my favorite,” Holt said. “But I also love the ‘Circus’ era. There are so many eras of Britney. How could you choose?”
“Heart Eyes,” a Josh Ruben-directed horror comedy, follows a pair of co-workers (Holt and Mason Gooding) who are fighting to survive after they’re mistaken for a couple by a Valentine’s Day serial killer.
“I call it a ‘horromedy.’ It kind of fits all the angles,” Gooding tells me. “The horror fans will be happy and the people who didn’t expect the rom-com, will get a little something, too.”
Could the film be the start of a new franchise?
“Absolutely,” Gooding says. “There’s going to be a second one and a third one. I’m not sure they confirmed that but I’m going to confirm that right now. It’s a full series and now I’m just backing them into a corner because I would make these for the rest of my life.”
“Heart Eyes” debuts in theaters Friday.
See more photos from the “Heart Eyes” screening below.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
