Fans expecting to see the Britney Spears biopic hit the big screen soon might have to wait much longer than they imagined.

The rights to the biopic, titled “The Woman in Me,” were purchased last year, with renowned “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu even signing on for the project.

However, reports now reveal that the project has “come to a grinding halt,” as Britney Spears had issues discussing her past, which prompted “negative thoughts.”

Nearly a year after Universal Pictures purchased the rights to Britney Spears’ No. 1 bestseller, “The Woman In Me,” sources have claimed that plans for the musical biopic are “not moving at full speed.”

One insider, an L.A. producer, told The U.S. Sun that the “wheels have come to a grinding halt” despite the initial excitement about acquiring the rights.

As for the reason behind the delay, the source explained that Spears had “some concerns” and that she and director Jon M. Chu, who is helming the project, “need time to work through” the situation.

“She found discussing her past very traumatic, and it prompted negative thoughts,” the insider said about the singer.

They added, “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.”

Pending the resolution of Spears’ concerns, director Chu has reportedly moved on to other projects he is signed on to.

“Jon has a lot of other projects to get on with,” the insider further remarked about the situation. “He doesn’t need to wait around, given [that] he is one of the hottest names in the business.”

Prior to the revelation, Chu had hinted about a glitch in the progress of the project during an interview in January.

“I can’t talk about the Britney project,” he said at the time. “We are very, very early, I’ve seen a lot of headlines, which are ahead of the ball.”

He also confirmed that Spears would be involved in the project, which further supports the source’s claim that the singer has some concerns.

“[Spears] is involved. But we will see what happens from there,” Chu added about the project.

At the time, Chu also revealed that the project will treat the “Toxic” singer “empathetically,” in a way that will do justice to her story.

“We are at the beginning of that process, and we just want to do her right and tell the story that she deserves,” he noted. “So we’ll take it step by step. I think the way is very slowly and empathetically.”

He also acknowledged that he and the team are well aware they are attempting something big, especially considering the amount of convincing needed to make Spears comfortable with putting her life on the big screen.

“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,'” Chus stated, per The U.S. Sun.

The director further revealed that they understand the risk of failure to tell the story right but remain committed to the project.

“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,” Chu concluded.

Over the last few weeks, Spears has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, which has got fans worried about her mental health.

In May, she was allegedly seen drinking alcohol and smoking a cigarette while traveling on a private plane to Los Angeles from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. She later apologized for the incident but claimed she found it incredibly funny.

A few days ago, she also casually revealed that she almost crashed into her house with a new car she had just bought.

“Got a new car, but I hate it. The roof doesn’t come off, WTF !!! The pedals are not like my old car at all. I almost ran into my house, oh well,” she shared on Instagram on Wednesday, per the Daily Mail.

Back in April, it was revealed that Spears had dumped her convict boyfriend Paul Soliz for the second time after their brief reconciliation in February.

At the time, reports claimed that Soliz had moved his belongings from the singer’s home in Los Angeles, a sign suggesting that the breakup may be permanent this time around.

The first time they split, sources claimed it was because the Spears “realized her former maintenance worker-turned-boyfriend was only using her for the luxurious lifestyle.”

“She also saw how Paul was a deadbeat dad, and this was a major turnoff for her. But, before anything, she knew that staying with him would only lead her down a dark path. His history speaks for itself,” the insider added, per the Daily Mail.

Before her relationship with Soliz, Spears was married to aspiring actor Sam Asghari for just over a year, with their divorce finalized in May 2024.