Spears in talks to play Virgin Mary

Britney Spears is reportedly in talks to play the Virgin Mary in a re-imagining of the Nativity story.

French producer Phillippe Rebboah is believed to have asked the singer to portray Christ's mother in satirical movie Sweet Baby Jesus.

He told Us Weekly: "I had to convince my partners, because they were like, 'Oh, no. Britney?' But I thought it was brilliant."

The new version of the tale depicts Mary as a 19-year-old who is unsure of the identity of her unborn baby's father. She goes into labour on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, Maryland, amid claims that the birth is the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The film would be Spears' first big-screen role since 2002's Crossroads.