Madonna’s cinematic revenge: ‘the studio’ sets stage for cannes oration roast

The industry’s obsession with manufactured applause is about to be mercilessly dissected. After years of observing the ritualistic, often baffling, standing ovations that dominate film festivals like Cannes and Venice, someone – and it’s likely a very smart someone – is finally going to lay it all bare.

A venice finale that felt… empty

Let’s be clear: I’ve spent a decade chasing stories in Hollywood and beyond, and I’ve yet to experience the genuine charm of the French Riviera. The prospect of enduring those interminable, precisely timed ovations at places like Cannes and Venice? Frankly, it’s enough to make me want to book a one-way ticket home. It’s a performative exercise, a desperate attempt to manufacture buzz – and often, the buzz is entirely unwarranted. Case in point: Joker: Folie à Deux, which received an 11-minute standing ovation at Venice last year, a frankly absurd spectacle.

But now, The Studio, known for its razor-sharp satire and willingness to dissect the absurdities of the entertainment business, is poised to deliver a particularly pointed critique. And judging by the latest intel, it’s aiming squarely at Madonna’s own ambitions.

Madonna’s film fiasco and ‘the studio’s’ counterattack

Variety reports that pop icon Madonna is currently filming scenes for season two of the show. The rumor mill suggests the series will be skewering her recent attempts to direct her biopic, a project that ultimately collapsed in 2023 after Universal scrapped the venture with Julia Garner attached. The potential for a devastating takedown is palpable.

According to sources close to the production, the upcoming episode will feature a thinly veiled jab at those extended festival ovations – a direct response to the industry's penchant for inflating a film’s perceived success through sheer volume of applause. Specifically, the back half of Madonna’s episode will delve deep into the debate surrounding journalists’ timing of these gestures of appreciation, framing it as a ‘whole thing.’ It’s a fascinating, and potentially explosive, development.

Seth Rogen, creator of the series, was reportedly spotted at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, meticulously documenting the post-screening applause, and ScreenDaily captured footage of him engaged in conversation with Italian journalists. The studio is keeping tight-lipped about the details, but the buzz suggests an entire episode will be dedicated to the phenomenon – a 20-minute ovation, perhaps? Given The Studio’s track record of gleeful, inside-baseball deconstructions, it's a gamble I’m willing to take. Frankly, it’s the perfect vehicle for such a pointed critique.

Let’s just hope the team isn’t subjected to any further clapping.