WHEN BRITNEY SPEARS sold the film rights to her warts-and-all life story last year, her fans were overjoyed.
They believed their idol was on her way back to pop superstardom.
Especially with the musical biopic of her No1 bestseller, The Woman In Me, set to be directed by Jon M Chu, who masterminded box-office smash, Wicked.
But, almost a year on I'm told the project has ground to a halt.
Insiders say Universal Pictures are now "not going at full speed" into the much-publicised project with concerns Britney is getting cold feet.
An LA producer revealed: "The wheels have come to a grinding halt on Britney. There was a lot of excitement about acquiring the rights to The Woman In Me, but then Britney had some concerns.
"She found discussing her past very traumatic and it prompted negative thoughts.
'Our moment'
"So for that stuff to then be put together in a film version and visually relived is a real issue. Jon and Britney need time to work through his vision of the film and her needs too. That just has not materialised so far."
My insider added: "'Everything has come to a halt. Jon has a lot of other projects to get on with.
"He doesn't need to wait around given he is one of the hottest names in the business."
In January, Jon hinted things hadn't got off to the fastest of starts. He said: "I can't talk about the Britney project. We are very, very early, I've seen a lot of headlines, which are ahead of the ball."
Asked if the Toxic hitmaker would be involved, Jon coyly added: "Yes, we had to get her book, right? So she is involved. But we will see what happens from there."
Britney is thought to be a contributor to the script and production, which the director insists will treat her "empathetically".
Currently it is unknown how extreme key moments in her life — such as her abortion while dating Justin Timberlake, and drug and alcohol battles — will be portrayed on camera.
Jon said: "We are at the beginning of that process and we just want to do her right and tell the story that she deserves.
"So we'll take it step by step. I think the way is very slowly and empathetically."
Hinting Britney still needs some persuasion in putting her life on the big screen, he added: "The only support we have is because nobody else outside of our circle knows the secret of what we're doing.
"And I think that starts from the very beginning of saying, 'Listen, we're going to jump out of this plane together and we're going to have to build a parachute.
"And we have to be willing to actually hit the ground. And once you get over that, we could fail, but we have to do this. This is our moment'."
Universal Pictures won the rights to Britney's critically-acclaimed New York Times bestseller last summer.
She is one of the most iconic artists, so I don't mind waiting for the biopic — so long as it is amazing.
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