Troubled pop diva Britney Spears may end up playing a modern-day version of the Virgin Mary story in a movie.

French producer Phillippe Rebboah has approached her to play the role and says that Spears is currently 'reviewing the script'. He wants her to play a young woman who goes into labour on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, Maryland, prompting rumours that the child is the new Messiah, reports dailysnack.com

Rebboah said: 'I had to convince my partners, because they were like: 'Oh no, Britney?'' But I thought it was brilliant. Frankly, you know we're with his partners on this one because Brit isn't exactly the model of reliability these days.

Last week, she failed to turn up to give a deposition in her child custody battle because she was 'too ill'.