Madonna's Directing Disasters: When Pop Icons Crash Behind Camera
The Queen of Pop's transition from acting flops to directing debacles reveals why some talents don't translate across Hollywood disciplines.
When Madonna stepped away from acting, few mourned the loss. The Razzie Awards certainly felt the impact since they could no longer count on her reliable presence across multiple categories. Nine golden raspberries later, the pop icon had earned her reputation as cinema's most dependable disappointment.
Die Another Day marked her final live-action appearance. A voice role in 2006's Arthur and the Invisibles closed the book on her screen career entirely. But Madonna wasn't finished with movies. She just switched sides of the camera.
First Attempt Falls Flat
Her directorial debut, Filth & Wisdom, showcased ambition without substance. Madonna co-wrote the screenplay, pouring creative energy into a project that critics dismissed as incoherent. The Razzies mercifully overlooked this effort, sparing her additional embarrassment in directing categories.
Most filmmakers might reconsider after such reception. Not Madonna. She pressed forward with WE, a historical drama that would test her limits as a storyteller.
Admitting Defeat on the Script
WE presented challenges Madonna hadn't anticipated. Initially planning to write the screenplay solo, she quickly recognized her limitations. The subject matter proved too complex for a single perspective.
"I started writing it on my own, and then I realised that I needed help," she told Interview magazine. "It's just too big a subject. I quite like the idea of collaborating in general. Not only is it lonely to do things on your own creatively, it's also kind of arrogant."
She brought in Alek Keshishian, who had directed her documentary Truth or Dare, to assist with the writing process. Two heads, she reasoned, would prove better than one.
Mixed Results, Familiar Problems
WE managed some recognition. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song thanks to Madonna's track "Masterpiece." These bright spots couldn't mask the project's fundamental problems.
Box office returns told the real story. The film recovered less than 20% of its production budget, bombing spectacularly with audiences and critics alike. Even with Keshishian's collaboration, the screenplay remained problematic.
The finished product suggested Madonna's instincts were correct about needing help. Whether the collaboration improved the final result remains debatable, since WE still failed to connect with viewers or generate positive reviews.
Two directing efforts, two commercial failures. Madonna's behind-the-camera career mirrored her acting trajectory, raising questions about her planned biopic project and whether lightning might strike three times.