Kevin Federline ‘Will Be Something of a Villain’ in the Upcoming Britney Spears Biopic

Britney Spears‘ long-awaited biopic is gaining momentum, and a source exclusively tells Star that the film won’t shy away from portraying some of the most difficult chapters of her life – including her marriage to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Universal is moving ahead with the adaptation of Spears’ bestselling memoir, The Woman in Me, with Wicked director Jon M. Chu and New Girl creator Liz Meriwether attached to the project.

“It’s interesting that Universal was totally fine with letting their Madonna biopic fall apart but they’re not only hanging onto Britney Spears’ book rights – they’re making active and large investments in the project to actually get it off the ground,” the source says. “Nobody hires director Jon M. Chu and writer Liz Meriwether to work on a project that’s going to get stuck in development hell. Right now, the plan is to shoot this project in 2027 and release it in 2028 at the latest.”

According to the source, Spears, 44, has been heavily involved behind the scenes but has taken a step back from the actual filmmaking process and “trusts Jon and his instincts.”

“Unlike what Madonna tried to do with her biopic, Britney is leaving the filmmaking to the professionals, and that’s why this movie is looking stronger by the day,” the source explains.

The source also says that a significant portion of the film will focus on the “Toxic” singer’s relationship with Federline, 48. Spears and Federline married in 2004 and welcomed their first son, Sean Preston, the following year. Almost exactly one year later, their second son, Jayden James, was born. However, by 2007, the two had called it quits.

“Like in her book, he will be something of a villain in the piece,” the source shares. “It’s not that Britney is looking to trash the father of her children, but the simple fact is that readers really responded to Britney’s unvarnished look at that marriage and her honest thoughts about Kevin as a husband.”

The source adds that the combination of Spears’ tumultuous personal life with her iconic career moments is what makes the project so tantalizing to potential viewers.

“Britney’s side of the story is so much more credible than anything Kevin has said or written on the matter, at least in the eyes of the studio and the filmmakers,” the source says. “It becomes a very juicy movie when you pair the story of that relationship with the making of Britney’s biggest hits and most famous music videos. Those are the worlds Jon Chu wants to explore in detail, and in many ways this is the movie he was born to make.”

Chu was always the Crossroads star’s top choice for the project, and even though his career has exploded after the success of the Wicked films, he’s still “stuck by the Britney project and turned down other work so he could keep developing it.”

The source notes that it “speaks volumes” that Universal thinks Britney’s story has “the potential for comparable box office success” to the recent Michael Jackson biopic.

However, there’s still one more hurdle to cross and that’s finding a young actress to play Spears during the height of her career. According to the source, that process “will begin later this year.”