Gal Gadot will trade her lasso of truth for a golden crown, playing the legendary queen of Egypt in “Cleopatra,” a historical drama that will reunite the actress with her “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins.
Paramount Pictures won the rights to the project, reportedly beating out other suitors such as Apple, Universal, Warner Bros. and Netflix. Gadot will get a chance to put her mark on a role previously essayed by the likes of Claudette Colbert and Elizabeth Taylor, playing a woman who romanced Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and served as the last ruler of Egypt’s Ptolemaic Kingdom. Taylor’s version proved to be so costly that 20th Century Fox nearly went bankrupt — hopefully this one will be less lavish.
Patty Jenkins to direct, which is also nice. Jenkins navigated what was probably a tricky course in WONDER WOMAN, providing a fun experience that neither pandered nor exploited. I have some hopes for this flick … particularly if Jenkins and Gadot discover a hitherto-unknown codex that establishes that Cleopatra knew how to kick a man’s sword out of his hand from a standing start. Or chariot racing. Chariot racing would be acceptable, right, folks?
Moe Lane
PS: There is no controversy over this, by the way. There are a bunch of people whining about it on social media, an indeterminate percentage of whom are visibly restraining themselves from hissing the word “Joooooooooos.” The difference is subtle, yet profound.
I don’t know what the open-air insane asylum of social media is saying – nor do I care – my only sorta problem is that by all historic evidence and accounts Cleopatra was not…attractive? I’d be much more impressed if the were to ugly up GG or cast someone else who can portray power and attract desire without relying on the crutches of physical beauty.
Too much to ask from Hollywood, I guess.
If Gal Gadot’s beauty is a crutch, by all means break my leg.
She was rich and powerful. That was enough for Caesar and Antony. As far a Hollywood knows the *legends* of Cleopatra are clear regarding her irresistibility, physical or not, and are True™.
The Ptolemaic dynasty was more Macedonian than Egyptian (was there any Egyptian blood in that line?), so Gadot perhaps splits the difference, geographically speaking. 😉
No, that would not be acceptable.
Not even a little bit.
.
You cannot do the whole “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter” thing, and expect the character to continue being taken seriously by the audience within the same work.
The average centurion was more than physically capable of killing Cleopatra with their bare hands.
But they wouldn’t have dared to lift a finger against her, even in defense of their own life.
That’s power.
She bent the Ancient World to her will.
Twice.
That’s strength.
You’re wishing for a gimmick that would undermine a great character, and implicitly belittle her real accomplishments.
Fie.
But … but … *chariot races*.
Rewatch Gladiator, and mourn for it’s never made sequel with Maximus as a Highlander in history’s most filmable wars.