Madonna to direct Wallis Simpson biopic

Never one to shy away from criticism, Madonna is planning to bounce back from her panned 2008 feature directorial debut Filth And Wisdom by directing another movie.

Reports have circulated for near a year that the singer/actress has been eyeing up the historical biopic W.E. , about the life and times of Wallis Simpson.

Now, Variety has confirmed that Guy Ritchie’s ex-wife will both co-write and direct the film.

Wallis Simpson is the American socialite whom King Edward VIII abdicated the throne for in the 1930s. She has been described as both a “greedy snob” and a “sexual predator”.

Madonna has stopped short of taking the lead role, with Up In The Air star Vera Farmiga apparently in line to take the part.

The songstress has been trying to break Hollywood for some time now, with only a handful of roles (in Evita and A League Of Their Own ) garnering Madonna anything close to positive press.

Could W.E. change all that? Simpson definitely led a fascinating life, and one that draws easy comparisons to Madge’s (both famous, strong women who have courted controversy). The Farmiga casting rumour also bodes well.

Positive for this? Or will we have another car wreck on our screens?

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.