Paramount has already been criticized heavily for not casting an Egyptian actress to play the Egyptian queen
A new biopic on Queen Cleopatra is in the works and Gal Gadot has been cast to play the Egyptian ruler. The film will be directed by Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins and backed by Paramount productions.
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Gadot tweeted, “As you might have heard I teamed up with @PattyJenks and @LKalogridis to bring the story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, to the big screen in a way she’s never been seen before. To tell her story for the first time through women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera.”
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She continued, “I love embarking on new journeys, I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life. Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. Can’t be more grateful about this A team!”
The backlash
Gadot’s casting got a mixed response as fans on social media were divided in the heritage of Cleopatra. Many were upset that they didn’t cast an Egyptian actress for the role. The other part supported Gal saying Cleopatra was of Greek origin, being from Macedonia and with Persian and Syrian ancestry.
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The first 1963 movie Cleopatra had Elizabeth Taylor in the lead role. The movie was about the struggles she had as the young queen of Egypt and how she fended of Roman invasions.
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The upcoming movie was actually Gadot’s idea, even though there were always talks about a Cleopatra movie happening, and even big names like Angelina Jolie and Lady Gaga were considered for the lead role. The strife between both teams on twitter are still ongoing and we will see how the executives react.
(Cover: Getty)