“People are people, and with me I want to celebrate Cleopatra’s legacy,” said Gadot of his upcoming collaboration with Patty Jenkins.
Evan Agostini / Invision / AP
The release of “Wonder Woman 1984” this week marks the second collaboration between director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot, but it will not be the last. News surfaced in October that Jenkins and Gadot are joining Paramount Pictures for a new Cleopatra film, starring Gadot as the Egyptian queen. The cast generated a reaction, as Gadot is an Israeli actress who will play a mixed race historical figure. The outrage reflected Cleopatra’s cover-up in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1963 film, when casting Elizabeth Taylor for the title role. In a new interview with BBC Arab (via The Independent), Gadot defended taking on the role of Cleopatra.
“First of all, if you want to be faithful to the facts, then Cleopatra was Macedonian,” said Gadot to BBC Arab presenter Sam Asi. “We were looking for a Macedonian actress who would fit Cleopatra. She was not there, and I was very much in love with Cleopatra. “
“I have friends from all over the world, whether they are Muslims, Christians, Catholics, atheists, Buddhists or Jews, of course,” continued Gadot. “People are people and, with me, I want to celebrate Cleopatra’s legacy and honor this incredible historical icon that I admire so much.”
Gadot concluded by saying that other filmmakers and actors can face Cleopatra with their own film adaptations if they have problems with their interpretation, adding: “You know, anyone can make this film and anyone can go ahead and do it. I am very excited to do mine too. “
Hollywood has long expressed an interest in setting up a supporting pillar for Cleopatra. Screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis, best known for writing Oliver Stone’s epic “Alexander” and Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island”, is working on Gadot and Jenkins’ Paramount film, which is separate from Cleopatra’s longtime film. a hell of a development at Sony. Producers Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin tried to make a Sony film take off based on the biography of Stacy Schiff, courting actress Angelina Jolie and directors like James Cameron, Denis Villeneuve and David Fincher over the years.
Cleopatra’s film is one of the two main pillars of support that Jenkins sought in its agenda after the release of “Wonder Woman 1984”. In addition to meeting with Gadot for the Egyptian queen’s epic, the filmmaker will also go to Lucasfilm to direct the film “Star Wars”, “Rogue Squad”.
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