"Wonder Woman" Star Gal Gadot to Play Cleopatra in New Movie
Actress Gal Gadot follows in the footsteps of the late Elizabeth Taylor to take on the role of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. The Wonder Woman star is teaming up with director Patty Jenkins to produce and star in the new biographical movie. The duo previously worked together on Wonder Woman and its sequel. Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island, Alita: Battle Angel) will serve as the script writer and executive producer of the project.
Considering both Gadot and Jenkins’ bodies of work, the film will likely portray Cleopatra from a more feminist perspective. Gadot even alluded to the idea in a tweet announcing the project.
"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," she wrote. "To tell her story for the first time through women's eyes, both behind and in front of the camera.”
She went on to say, “We hope women and girls all around the world, who aspire to tell stories will never give up on their dreams and will make their voices heard, by and for other women.
One of the most iconic portrayals of the Egyptian royal was Taylor’s version in the 1963 movie Cleopatra. The film, which caused quite the scandal in its day with production woes and cast changes, was the highest-grossing film of that year and received four Academy Awards.
The film has been picked up by Paramount Pictures, who have yet to give a release date for the project. However, Gadot and Jenkins’ newest movie Wonder Woman 1984 is set to hit theaters Christmas Day.
