This week sees the release of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. In the trailers released over the past few months, Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ is heavily used, and the song will finally appear in the film, although it does not appear on the official soundtrack.
Hugh Jackman and director Shawn Levy explained at a press conference that it was particularly difficult to get the rights to use this 80s classic, because “Madonna’s music is very difficult to license” and “that song in particular even more so.” To convince her, they had to meet with her, show her the sequence where it was going to be used, and explain to her what it meant. Madonna agreed, although she suggested some changes that the production company liked. Therefore, an extra 48-hour shoot was scheduled to modify the scene following Madonna’s advice.
The fact that Madonna’s music is not used much in TV shows and films has diminished her reach throughout this century. ‘Material Girl’ was featured in ‘Stranger Things’ alongside ‘Angel’, more as an exception than anything else, in what must be a real nightmare for her publisher.
Perhaps Madonna, now that she has looked back on her 40-year career on tour and is still willing to make her own biopic, is more willing to look back than at other times in her life. What is certain is that ‘Like a Prayer’ has not been an easy song to license. Although not impossible.
No: The Leftovers
One of the best shows about cults, religion and faith in recent years was planning to feature Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ in one of the climactic scenes of the final season. Star Kevin Garvey faces a desolate karaoke bar, in tears. Creator Damon Lindelof said that they pitched the proposal to Madonna, and she simply said “no.” ‘The Leftovers’ had to choose another theme, opting for ‘Homeward Bound’. However, ‘Like a Prayer’ appears on the scene’s roulette wheel as a possibility.
Yes: Happy Endings
Damon was furious when he recalled that the use of ‘Like a Prayer’ had been allowed in the television comedy ‘Happy Endings’ (ABC, 2012). This was the way the second of three seasons of the series ended on television.
Yes: Glee
Although it may seem like prehistory, Madonna’s music filled an entire episode of ‘Glee’ dedicated to the artist in 2010. An EP called ‘The Power of Madonna’ was released and ‘Like a Prayer’ was of course the final song.
No: The Final Girls
Among the curiosities of ‘The Final Girls’, it is said that there was no way to get permission to use ‘Like a Prayer’. Apparently, Madonna personally wrote to the scriptwriters of ‘Final Girls’ to tell them that she would let them use any of her songs except ‘Like a Prayer’… which was the one that suited them. They replaced it with ‘Bette Davis Eyes’.
Yes, but no: Derry Girls
You may have seen two versions of ‘Derry Girls’, one of the most hilarious comedies of recent years: one that features ‘Like a Prayer’ and one that doesn’t. According to The Tab, this is because the original channel where the series aired, Channel 4, has very specific licensing provisions as a public channel. But when the series was uploaded to Netflix, again, the license to use ‘Like a Prayer’ was not obtained and in that scene ‘Like a Prayer’ had to be replaced with ‘Pray’ by Take That.
Yes: The Idol
As exquisite as Madonna is, she has sometimes donated ‘Like a Prayer’ to random projects. Nobody remembers it anymore, because nobody remembers this series, but as recently as last summer, ‘Like a Prayer’ was played in the pilot episode of ‘The Idol’. For more information, it was destroyed, and without any narrative sense. Perhaps a little favor in exchange for the hit with The Weeknd that ‘Popular’ was going to be?
Yes: Deadpool & Wolverine
This weekend, the world will be able to see if all the fuss over a license is worth it. According to the first people who attended the New York preview, ‘Like a Prayer’ appears in a scene towards the end, epic and that “Madonna fans will love.” It will be the umpteenth attempt by someone to try to do a Kate Bush in ‘Stranger Things’ and one that many have failed at. For example, Depeche Mode in ‘The Last of Us’.
