The BBC is set to release its own documentary about Britney Spears following the success of Hulu's Framing Britney Spears, which released in February.
Much like the Hulu documentary, which was made in collaboration with The New York Times, the BBC's take will look at the pop star's controversial conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement that surrounds it.
Britney (its working title) will see Bafta-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar visit Spears's hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, before travelling to Los Angeles to interview the fans behind the #FreeBritney campaign.
He also attends a court hearing about the terms of the conservatorship, and interviews several people close to the star.
“I went to LA in search of the truth of how Britney Spears, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, ended up in a conservatorship," Azhar said. “I found myself in a world of lawyers, superfans and paparazzi and spent time with many of the people who’ve had a front-row seat in Britney’s life. This film taps into the energy of the #FreeBritney movement and questions the industry, fandom and the laws that facilitate conservatorships.”
The documentary will be broadcast on BBC Two later this year.
The makers of Framing Britney Spears, which proved a viral hit and reignited interest in the case following its release on February 5, have also announced a follow-up is in the works.
"There was so much we had to leave on the cutting room floor and in our notebooks just for time," The New York Times senior story editor Liz Day told The Hollywood Reporter. "And also since the documentary aired, we've gotten a lot of information that we're interested in as well that we're interested in pursuing and reporting out further."
Day added that new sources have emerged since the documentary was broadcast. "The documentary has helped us earn the trust of even more people ... people have been very distrustful of the press because they've felt burned in the past and I think the documentary's very sensitive treatment and respect of all parties and everyone helped us further."
On Wednesday, Spears's lawyers again announced their intention to ask the court to permanently remove her father, Jamie Spears, as her conservator, asking that Jodi Montgomery, who was appointed as temporary conservator over the singer's personal affairs in 2019, instead be made permanent.
