Madonna is firmly placing her filmmaking skills in the spotlight again by taking up the helm on the adaptation of Michaela and Elaine DePrince’s memoir, Taking Flight.
New Girl and Fresh of the Boat scribe will be writing the screenplay that tells the story of Michaela DePrince, who was an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone who overcomes great odds to become a world-famous ballerina and currently a soloist at the Dutch National Ballet.
“Michaela’s journey resonated with me deeply as both an artist and an activist who understands adversity,” Madonna said. “We have a unique opportunity to shed light on Sierra Leone and let Michaela be the voice for all the orphaned children she grew up beside. I am honoured to bring her story to life.”
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MGM Productions president Glickman said, “We could not be more thrilled that Madonna will bring this remarkable story to the big screen. There is no director better suited to tell Michaela’s journey with passion and sensitivity, and we cannot wait to bring this film to audiences all around the world.”
Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Elysa Koplovitz Dutton will produce alongside Ben Pugh and Guy Oseary. MGM Production president Jonathan Glickman and Tabitha Shick are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.
Madonna made her feature directing debut on the 2008 film “Filth and Wisdom.” She also helmed and co-wrote 2011’s W.E., which focused on the relationship between King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson. She is also currently set to produce the documentary, I Am Because We Are, about Malawi’s orphans in the wake of the AIDS pandemic, and co-write and direct The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells a film adaptation of Andrew Sean Greer’s novel.
