EXCLUSIVE Piece of Me! Inside the fight for Britney Spears as viral TikTok lookalikes battle for biopic

Daily Mail​

17-05-2025

There are very few roles in Hollywood that can take an amateur actress plucked from obscurity and turn her into an overnight sensation. But the opportunity to play Britney Spears in her first ever licensed biopic could surely be one of them.
When it was first reported that the pop star's best-selling memoir, The Woman in Me, was getting the movie treatment, it didn't take long to whip fans into a frenzy over who should portray her.
Ariana Grande, Sydney Sweeney, Sabrina Carpenter, Emma Roberts, and Millie Bobby Brown's names were all thrown into the ring. However, the most dedicated of Spears fans believed the role should go to someone who represents the singer's own rise to fame: an unknown.
Now, it seems those dreams could soon become a reality, as two viral TikTok stars are battling it out for the coveted lead role.
Mia Marcuzzi and Kylie Schultz, both 21 and with college degrees in acting, are equally as desperate to be cast as Spears. So much so, that they've reinvented themselves as the Toxic singer.
On TikTok, Marcuzzi has amassed 72,000 followers, while Schultz has a whopping 189,000. Their desire to portray the Princess of Pop is evident on their respective social media accounts which are filled with videos of them dancing to Spears' top hits and wearing replicas of her most memorable outfits.
And the internet is convinced too, with comments under Schultz and Marcuzzi's videos ranging from 'Telling my kids this is Britney Spears' to 'Close enough, welcome back Britney Spears!' One even declared: 'You're the only person I can see playing Britney.'
Still, it may be some time before any decision is made on who will take on the coveted role.
Last August, Universal Pictures won the rights to Spears' tell-all memoir with Wicked director Jon M. Chu and producer Marc Platt attached to develop the feature.
However, there has since been no updates about the film, with Chu forced to shut down casting rumors earlier this year.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, an inside source close to production doubled down on Chu's assertion, revealing there's currently 'no front-runner' in the race to become Spears – meaning at this point, anyone is fair game.
'It will be ages before they get anywhere with the Britney biopic,' the source said, noting that Chu and the rest of the team behind the film 'don't want to hire an actress' to play Spears until 'everything else [is] locked down.'
'Jon Chu wants to devote all his time and energy to it, and that is something he is unable to do right now with his other commitments,' the insider added.
She told the Daily Mail that she feels it is her 'calling' to play Spears in the biopic
'There is no front-runner so that means everyone that wants to do it, from known to unknowns, still has a chance.'
The news bodes well for Marcuzzi and Schultz who look prepared to do anything.
Schultz – who graduates this spring from Ithaca College with a degree in film, dance, and theatre – was back home in Pennsylvania recovering from a surgery last year when she first heard that a Spears biopic was officially in the works, something she felt was her 'calling.'
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, she said: 'I channeled all my energy into creating performance content on TikTok inspired by Britney's iconic style, which also helped my recovery.'
She secured an interview with CBS News to help gain support for her casting.
'What began as videos showcasing my journey learning her dance moves, songs, and performances evolved into something far greater than a casting campaign – it became a transformation of self-love and confidence,' Schultz said.
Much was the same for Marcuzzi, originally from Argentina, who moved to New York City to pursue a degree in acting at New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts.
She described having a 'gut feeling' about the Spears biopic.
'You know when you get that gut feeling, when you see something on the internet and it scares you so much – that it means you care about it a lot? That's it, it was exactly like that. I just knew,' she said.
It's undeniable that both Schultz and Marcuzzi bear an uncanny resemblance to the pop star, but it will take a lot more than just striking physical similarities to truly tap into the iconic singing sensation.
Not only will the lucky starlet need to look like Spears, but she must also possess both dancing and singing capabilities on par with Spears' level of prowess.
The chosen candidate will also need some considerable acting experience too, because no one wants to watch a film bogged down by its lead star.
While there will be no grueling 'boot camp' like the one Madonna held to cast her on-screen self, the final say on who will portray Spears will likely come down to the Circus singer herself.
And Spears has already shared her thoughts about who she does not want to be hired for the lead.
An insider previously revealed to DailyMail.com that the Hit Me Baby... One More Time singer has refused to cast 'desperate' Millie Bobby Brown, despite the Stranger Things star once describing it as her 'dream role.'
'Millie is so desperate to play Britney that those close to her feel it has become her life mission right now,' the source said in March. 'She believes she was born for this role.
'The problem is, Britney isn't on board. She doesn't see the resemblance.'
The insider said that Brown has 'not spoken directly' with Spears, but added that the singer, who is heavily involved in the project, has 'seen her audition tape.'
Not only will Spears be very hands-on with the casting she is also working on new music for the soundtrack, as preparations for the film inspired the star to create a 'new banger.'
'Britney is making music to be included in the soundtrack for her upcoming biopic and is heavily involved in the process,' another source exclusively revealed to Daily Mail in October.
For Marcuzzi, she will do whatever it takes to land the role – even if that means relocating to her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, to fully nail the singer's subtle Southern twang.
'I have done so much research, and I would truly do whatever I can to prepare for this part,' she said. 'I have studied method acting, and I would go to her hometown in Kentwood for a year if I had to in order to perfect her speech and her mannerisms to understand where she came from and how that shaped her.'
'Whatever it takes like dancing, singing, accent coaching,' she added. 'I'm flexible and I'm malleable, and I like that about myself.'
Although Marcuzzi acknowledged that her own resemblance to the singer does give her a leg-up in the competition, what truly sets her apart from the other candidates is her connection to Spears' story.
'I have been working in this industry since I was 10 years old. I feel that's something that connects me. I understand the discipline. I understand the pressure. And I understand that that all comes from a love for performing,' she said.
Marcuzzi admitted that the opportunity to portray Spears is a 'huge responsibility,' and one that will surely come with many challenges.
'I don't know if anyone would be perfect because there's only one Britney,' she said.
As for Schultz, she emphasized how Spears has fundamentally shaped her understanding of what it means to be a female in the entertainment industry.
Being a 'small town girl' herself, Schultz believes that Spears' journey to stardom mirrors her own path, with dreams of connecting to the world through her love of performance.
'As a fresh face, I can disappear into Britney's story rather than merely imitate her,' Schultz said.
'This isn't just another acting opportunity – it's a sacred responsibility to honor my hero. I'm prepared to pour everything I have into ensuring her legacy is portrayed with the respect and nuance it deserves, only if that is what Britney wants.'
It's a long road ahead until the highly anticipated Spears biopic finally hits screens.
Luckily for fans of the singer, they can take solace in the fact that Spears, Chu, and the entire team at Universal Pictures are in no rush to tell such a sensitive and personal story.