'Crossroads:' Looking Back At Britney Spears' Breakout Film

American singer, songwriter, and dancer Britney Spears is a revered figure in the entertainment industry. Despite the many troubles she has encountered in her personal life, her immense success on the stage has overshadowed it to some extent.

Like most female singing superstars, the pop princess also tried her hands at a movie career as a sort of quest to conquer the television sector of the entertainment industry.

Her debut role was in a Shonda Rhimes and Tamra Davis' collab "Crossroads" alongside Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning.

Although "Crossroads" budget was limited and did not gather much acclaim, the rom-com made fans of the pop star see her in a different light as an actress and added to her fame.

Below is more info about the movie's budget, Box office success, and Spears' filming insecurities.

In 2002, Spears played a small role in American comedy, "Longshot," where she merely appeared as a side feature among a host of other songsters.

Having had a taste of acting beyond music videos, the singer decided to formally enter the movie industry in an all-star female flick "Crossroads," released in the same year as "Longshot."

She portrayed Lucy Wager, a kindhearted lass who shed her wide-eyed innocence by embarking on a cross-country trip with her BFF's Mimi (Manning), Kit (Saldana), and a guy they just met. Ultimately, the movie's flurry of emotional and comical scenes gave the trio of friends new experiences and tightened their bond.

One might have thought that Spears' appearance in the film implied that its budget was off the roof. However, according to the film's IMDB page, it had an estimated budget of $12 million, which was low compared to the prevalent standards of the industry at that time.

Many fans of Spears hurried to the cinema to see their favorite on the big screen. Consequently, the film's opening day made a huge turnover ranging between $5 to $6 million.

By the end of the week, the movie had grossed nearly $15 million, surpassing its production budget.

At that time "Crossroads," etched its place as the second highest-grossing film of the week, edged out by Denzel Washington's drama "John Q." In the end, it earned nearly $40 million in the US and Canada and grossed almost twice that amount on a worldwide scale.

The movie is still available for purchase on Amazon and in DVD format on auction sites like eBay. For fans opting for streaming, getting a site might be an arduous task.

From watching her in "Crossroads," fans might not have the faintest idea that Spears was on the edge of an emotional meltdown. Back then, the pop star was insecure about her skin and took some steps to calm her nerves before going on set.

"When I was younger, I never really had an acne problem until I did my first movie," as reported by Honey Celebrity. "I was so nervous to be on camera, so I went to the dermatologist for stronger skincare products!!!"

"It cleared up quickly after, but you have to be careful because prescribed products are very strong !!!!" she added. "I remember waking up and saying wow it's gone."

Since then, Spears has not starred in any major movie and has only had small features on romcoms such as "How I Met Your Mother," "Glee," and "Jane the Virgin."

Many years have passed since Spears, Manning, and Saldana starred in "Crossroads." Although they might have lost touch with each other, Manning shared her support for the singer during her legal battle against her conservatorship.

At first, the arrangement came into place - to prevent the actress from getting hoodwinked by people who might take advantage of her then-vulnerability. However, her father refused to hand over control even when the actress had remained stable for years.

Fans of the star were no longer at ease with the arrangement and voiced their disagreement by staging several "#FreeBritney protests." Like many, Crossroads co-stars, Manning showed her solidarity back then via a post on her social media account.

"Britney I know you're strong af [sic] and have your own brain and thought process," Manning captioned a throwback photo of them. "To me, you look happy and like you're having a blast! How about let's give this wonderful woman the dignity she deserves and earned."