Gal Gadot Will Be Playing Cleopatra, So Naturally, Opinions Have Been Expressed

Deadline reports that Paramount Pictures has won the right to mount a probably cursed production of Cleopatra starring Gal Gadot with Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins directing. Patty and Gal will also be producers on the movie. Deadline says of Gal that “the film was her idea” which is crazy because I’m pretty sure it’s been done before. And of course, since Gal isn’t the actual mummified corpse of Cleopatra, people have expressed strong opinions online about her suitability for the role. Nevertheless, it turns out that the whole time Gal was singing Imagine, she wasn’t imagining a world free from disease and strife, she was imagining being The Queen of a world full of disease and strife. Side note: That Imagine video was posted on March 19th, DAY 6 of lockdown in California. It is now day 209. Carry on if you are able.

That anyone would want to revisit Cleopatra after Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (not to mention Billy Porter!) already brought that shit to its camp conclusion is wild to me. But I guess every pretty actress with dark hair is legally required to make a go of it. Deadline reports that Gal’s Cleo is totally independent from the Sony version based on the book Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff that’s been kicking around for the last decade or so, and was supposed to star Angelina Jolie and later, Lady Gaga. That one moves to the back of the line now.

Paramount Pictures has won an auction for an epic that will have Gal Gadot wearing the crown of a real wonder woman of history. Wonder Woman helmer Patty Jenkins will direct Gadot in Cleopatra, a period biographical drama scripted by Laeta Kalogridis. This is the first major project package won by Paramount Motion Picture Group President Emma Watts in an auction that came down to Universal, Warner Bros, Netflix and Apple, I’ve heard.

The film will be produced by Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven, Jenkins, Gadot and her Pilot Wave Motion Pictures partner Jaron Varsano. Kalogridis will be the exec producer. Deal closed yesterday after Gadot — the film was her idea and generated by Pilot Wave — took part in a select number of Zoom pitches, accompanied by Jenkins, Roven and Varsano, with Kalogridis laying out the beats of an epic story that is based on the research she did after Gadot enlisted her.

Here’s Gal and Laeta’s announcements of the deal on Twitter.

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. pic.twitter.com/k5eyTIfzjB

— Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) October 12, 2020

Incredibly excited to get the chance to tell the story of Cleopatra, my favorite Ptolemaic Pharoah and arguably the most famous Macedonian Greek woman in history.

Never thought I’d have the opportunity to tell a story like this, with women who have inspired me beyond words.

— Laeta Kalogridis (@LKalogridis) October 11, 2020

This officially kicks off our once-per-decade rehashing of the actual Cleopatra’s ethnicity where everybody wants to claim Cleopatra even though, in reality, she was probably ugly as hell. According to Complex:

Reactions to the casting have ranged from positive to outright confusion on social media. While an Egyptian queen, scholars have often identified Cleopatra as someone of Greek ancestry with debates regarding some Persian and Syrian ancestry, too. Gadot is an Israeli actress, and some have raised questions regarding whether she is fit to play the role.

Someone forgot to tell Dyson-Vaccum-Brain here that Cleopatra didn't have a single drop of Egyptian blood, represented a colonial occupier dynasty, and all her ethnic associations (Greek, Nilo Hamitic & possibly Berber) were forcibly and brutally Islamised & Arabised https://t.co/M8sUTmZ0kC

— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) October 12, 2020

Cleopatra was a mix of Macedonian/Greek (who were not white) and a hint of Persian. She was not black; more Middle Eastern (looks wise). Gal Gadot is probably too beautiful, in terms of modern standards, but she doesn't look as "white" as, say, Scarlett Johansson. It's fine.

— Art Tavana (@arttavana) October 11, 2020

So according to the internet, Gal’s too bland, too pretty, too Israeli, too ethnic, and too white, but not as white as Scarlett Johansson which is laughable given that we all know that Scarlett is trans-ethnic/species and could easily play the role as a palm tree if given the chance. To me, the real question is why? Who is going to watch this and where because it’s day 209 of lockdown and we’re still stuck trying to imagine ever going to a movie theater again? At this point in time, I’d rather take an asp to the titty!

Pic: Wenn.com