Britney Spears was the inspiration for Gwyneth Paltrow's new movie 'Country Song'.

The film's director Shana Feste has confessed it was 'Toxic' hitmaker Britney who gave her the idea for the movie, which sees Gwyneth playing a country singer trying to resurrect her career while dealing with an addiction problem.

She said: "That's where this movie came from. I mean, I was seeing what was happening in the media to Britney Spears."

Shana completed writing The Script for the movie - which also stars Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester - when Michael Jackson died in 2009 and she admits the media portrayal of his death played on her mind.

She added to the Los Angeles Times: "I finished the script when Michael Jackson passed away. I think it's tragic how we treat people who give us so much, and we love to see them knocked down to build them back up again, to knock them down again. It's a weird fascination."

Gwyneth has previously revealed she struggled with the role because she was "naked" a lot but enjoyed it nonetheless.

She said: "It was a brutal shoot. I mean, I wasn't naked, naked, but I was semi-naked, in various stages of undress. My character has a drug and alcohol problem, so she's struggling a lot. It was a lot of fun for me, as an artist."