Netflix Gets Streaming Debut Of Infamous 2000s Star Vehicle

Released in 2002 towards the height of Britney Spears’s popularity, Crossroads placed the singer at the front of a surprisingly stacked cast that includes future Marvel stars Zoe Saldana and Anson Mount, alongside Taryn Manning, Kim Cattrall, Beverly Johnson, Justin Long, and Dan Aykroyd. The original concept for the film, following a young girl and her friends on a cross-country trip, came directly from Spears before Shonda Rhimes, years before Grey’s Anatomy took off, wrote the final version.

The road trip brought about by a “wish box” the three friends dig up before high school graduation takes them from small-town Georgia to the West Coast. Lucy (played by Britney Spears and, in flashbacks, Jamie Lynn Spears) wants to find her mother. Kit (Saldana) is going to visit her fiancee at UCLA, while Mimi (Manning) is pregnant but wants to audition for a record.

Yes, Britney Spears sings in Crossroads, and it is the film that introduced her hit song, “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman,” but it’s become a cult classic for the dark turns it takes. Topics covered include infidelity, assault, pregnancy, mother/daughter relationships, and how to navigate that rough time between being a teenager and an adult. Fans who have never seen the film before will soon catch it on Netflix and be shocked at how these issues were handled in 2002.

Not only is Britney Spears still a major household name, but the cast of Crossroads went on to star in major shows like Orange is the New Black, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and, in Saldana’s case, four of the largest movies in history, but behind the scenes, it was a rarity for 2002.

Crossroads was directed by Tamra Davis, known for directing music videos and the Adam Sandler comedy Billy Madison, and joining her were Shonda Rimes as the lead writer and Ann Carli as the producer. A production led by mainly women was not common 22 years ago.

Long before the head-shaving, internet meme videos, and documentaries, Britney Spears was the biggest pop act on the planet. Crossroads was no exception, managing to make $60 million dollars at the box office against a budget of only $10 million. Spears’ performance was praised by critics and fans, earning her two MTV Movie Award nominations and three Teen Choice Award nominations.

Through a complicated series of rights changing hands, Britney Spears’ Crossroads has never been on a streaming service. The web of music and movie rights has denied Britney Spears’ fans from seeing one of her greatest pieces of work. Hopefully, this will lead to a Blu-Ray release packed with extras, including a Spears, Saldana, and Manning commentary track, which would be fascinating given the current state of their careers.

Source: Variety