Madonna to Direct 'Taking Flight' Biopic About Famed Sierra Leone Ballerina Michaela DePrince

Madonna is ready to tap into her love for film once again, and this time around she's going to be telling an important story. The pop star will be directing a biopic named Taking Flight, which explores the journey of Michaela DePrince, Rolling Stone reports.

DePrince's tale is a remarkable one and possesses a great deal of inspiration. The 23-year-old was born in Sierra Leone in 1995 and grew up as an orphanage during the country's civil war. According to her adoptive parents, DePrince's father was killed by the Revolutionary United Front while her mother starved to death. She was able to escape the turmoil in 1999 when she was adopted by a family in New Jersey, getting the chance to begin a new life in America. DePrince is now a respected ballerina, making history as the youngest dancer in the history of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She is now a soloist for the Dutch National Ballet and is the only ballerina of African descent.