LONDON: Madonna was almost Mariah Carey's boss on acclaimed new movie precious - the pop superstar was among the first people to show an interest in adapting author SAPPHIRE's gritty drama into a film. The writer decided the Material Girl wasn't a good fit and declined her offer to produce the film, about an obese, illiterate teenager. Sapphire also turned down other interested parties until moviemaker Lee Daniels convinced her he was the right man for the job. Sapphire tells Entertainment Weekly magazine, "There was this really earnest college student with his backpack on who wanted to do his first film, and then Madonna wanted to produce it. I was like, 'Madonna? I don't think this is her film.'" And the author recalls one potential producer who had his cast all mapped out: "This one producer told me he had found Precious - and it was going to be (singer/actress) Brandy. Excuse me? I literally almost hung up on him." And then Daniels came along with a cast of friends and the idea of casting Jane Fonda as Precious' social worker. He eventually settled on Helen Mirren and then turned to Carey when the Brit had to quit the project at the last minute.