The ‘Cleopatra’ adaptation starring Gal Gadot is moving forward, with Kari Skogland of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ taking over as director from Patty Jenkins.
According to Variety, Gadot’s casting as the famed Egyptian queen caused debate when the project was first unveiled in December 2020. The actor portraying a mixed-race historical character in ‘Wonder Woman’ is an Israeli.
The anger echoed the whitewashing of Elizabeth Taylor’s performance as Cleopatra in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1963 film of the same name. Despite the backlash, Gadot recently stated in a magazine that her upcoming film “Cleopatra” will be “the story the world needs to hear now.”
“Gadot said, “I can’t say much more than that, but I can say that we’re going to commemorate Cleopatra’s tale. We’ll show how seductive and appealing she was, but also how shrewd and brilliant she was, and how much of an impact she had and continues to have on the world we live in today. I’ve seen every ‘Cleopatra’ film ever made, but I believe we’re telling the tale the world needs to hear right now.”
In a December 2020 interview, Gadot addressed the controversy around her casting as Cleopatra. At the time, the actor defended her decision to take the part, saying, “First and foremost, if you want to be accurate, Cleopatra was Macedonian. We were on the lookout for a Macedonian actress to play Cleopatra. I was very enthusiastic about Cleopatra, and she wasn’t there.”
“I have friends from all around the world,” Gadot added, “whether they’re Muslims, Christians, Catholics, atheists, Buddhists, or, of course, Jews.”
She went on to say, “Humans are people, and I, for one, want to honor Cleopatra’s legacy and pay tribute to this incredible historical figure whom I much adore… Anyone can make this movie, and anyone can go ahead and make it. I’m adamant that I’ll do it on my own as well.”
According to Variety, Gadot’s forthcoming projects include ‘Wonder Women 3’ and ‘Cleopatra.’
