In our Season 2 premiere, we welcome Elyse Hollander to discuss her 2016 Black List-topping script Blonde Ambition—a Madonna biopic chronicling the pop icon's rise through the sexism-fueled music industry of the early 1980s.
After selling to Universal with Michael De Luca producing, the project sparked massive controversy when Madonna herself took to social media to publicly denounce it.
For the first time, Elyse opens up about the media firestorm, the personal toll of being targeted by one of the world's biggest stars, and what it's really like when your breakthrough script becomes a lightning rod for public debate.
Guest: Elyse Hollander on Instagram
Host: Chris Hill on Instagram and BlueSky
Visit storyandplot.com/blacklisted for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.
Useful links:
New York Times article on Madonna criticism
BBC fact-check Elyse's screenplay
THR article on Madonna controversy
Deadline article on Madonna reaction
People - 'Madonna to write and direct her own biopic'
Madonna's Netflix limited series announcement
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