Sydney Sweeney Tipped for Britney Spears Biopic in Unconfirmed Report as Fans Cry: 'Not Talented Enough'

A new casting report has linked Sydney Sweeney to speculation surrounding Britney Spears' long-awaited biopic, but the actress has yet to be officially announced for the role.

According to an OK! Magazine report, Sweeney has emerged as a name being considered to portray Spears in the Universal Pictures project, which is based on the pop star's bestselling memoir The Woman in Me.

The report has already prompted mixed reactions online, with some fans questioning whether Sweeney has the singing and dancing abilities required for the part.

Sydney Sweeney Reportedly Eyed for Britney Spears Biopic

The report claims Sweeney is among the actresses being considered for the lead role in the upcoming Britney Spears biopic, alongside other names reportedly discussed for the part. However, there has been no official casting announcement, and the project's director Jon M. Chu recently indicated that casting was not yet his focus.

The film is being developed by Universal Pictures from Spears' 2023 memoir The Woman in Me, which chronicles her childhood, rise to global pop stardom, personal struggles and the 13-year conservatorship that ended in 2021.

Chu, who directed Wicked, is attached to direct, while New Girl creator Liz Meriwether is writing the screenplay, with Marc Platt producing.

The latest report comes only days after Chu said he was 'not even thinking about casting right now', adding that the filmmakers were focused on getting Spears' story right. That makes any suggestion that Sweeney has secured the role particularly premature.

Fans Question Sydney Sweeney's Singing and Dancing

The possibility of Sweeney playing Spears quickly divided social-media users, with several questioning whether she could convincingly recreate the singer's performance style. One critic wrote, 'Full shade, but she's not talented enough for this role', while another asked, 'who will do the singing and dancing'.

Several users raised similar questions about whether Sweeney had the singing and dancing skills required for the role. Other reactions focused on Sweeney's suitability rather than the project itself.

One user wrote, 'she's gorgeous but lacks everything Britney has 😭', while another posted, 'This better be a joke'. Another compared the suggestion to Candace Owens playing Beyoncé, while some users pushed for alternative casting, with one simply writing, 'WE WANT ADDISON'.

Despite the criticism, there was also support for the possibility, with one fan declaring, 'WE ALL WANT THIS TO HAPPEN OMFGGGGGG IM GONNA CRY'.

Emma Roberts Previously Said Playing Britney Spears Was Her 'True Dream'

Sweeney is not the first actress to have been linked to the Britney Spears biopic. In 2024, Spears' former assistant Felicia Culotta suggested Emma Roberts could be a strong choice to portray the singer. Roberts subsequently addressed the speculation and made clear that she was enthusiastic about the possibility.

'I mean, it's my true dream to play Britney Spears. It's a rumour, but I hope maybe it'll come true,' she told Cosmopolitan, while recalling how she listened repeatedly to Spears' 2003 album In the Zone. Roberts' comments did not amount to confirmation that she was being considered by the studio.

Chu has also previously pushed back against online casting speculation, stressing that the project was still too early in development for casting decisions. In March 2025, he rejected earlier reports naming potential contenders, saying he had not had any conversations about casting the film.

The latest Sweeney report therefore adds another name to the ongoing casting speculation, rather than confirming who will ultimately portray Spears. Until Universal or the filmmakers make an official announcement, the identity of the actress remains unconfirmed.