There is no doubt that Framing Britney Spears has been a viral success. The New York Times documentary first broadcast in the US on February 5, and has since sparked countless articles, think pieces and widespread reaction from celebrities.
The documentary sheds light on the conservatorship Britney Spears is under, her most troubled years and the #FreeBritney campaign, which has been driven by devoted fans of the pop superstar. The team behind the TV film are now suggesting that a follow-up to the 75-minute one-off could be 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 adds 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."
Since the documentary came out, Spears, 39, has not directly referenced it but has alluded to it in a social media caption, shared with video footage of her singing Toxic on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve in 2017.
Five days after Framing Britney Spears was released, she wrote: "I am taking the time to learn and be a normal person .... I love simply enjoying the basics of every day life!
"Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories ... Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person's life, it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens."
When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about what they'd like to explore in a follow-up, director Samantha Stark suggested the star's conservatorship would be a key theme.
"I think there's way more to learn about the circumstances of the conservatorship and how the conservatorship has been running and why, the people involved in its creation and running it," says Stark.
"Right now, Jamie Spears is the face of this because he's the person that was named in the court filings that were filed by Britney's court-appointed attorney. But it's clear that he's not the only person who was working on this and that he's not the only person that has benefited monetarily from this, so I think it's important to look into everything."
Day adds that the singer's finances could also be a topic they explore, saying: "I would just emphasise that Britney's money is such a big part of this. The court values the value of her estate at $60 million, but there's a lot of speculation that her true net worth is much larger with royalties and intellectual property and there may be a substantial amount of money in a separate trust and I think the more that is learned about all of that, that should be really interesting."
A hearing on February 11 saw a judge rule that Spears's father must share power over her conservatorship, but did not entirely strip him of his role as co-conservator. The next court hearing is on Wednesday, March 17.
Since Hulu broadcast Framing Britney Spears, it has been reported that competing streaming service Netflix is working on a documentary of its own about the star.
