Paramount Pictures recently won a high-stakes auction for the rights to bring to life a new version of one of history’s favorite queens: Cleopatra. This new film is set to reunite Wonder Woman leading lady Gal Gadot and helmer Patty Jenkins to bring to life Laeta Kalogridis’s period dramatization Cleopatra.
‘Cleopatra’ Epic To Re-Team ‘Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot & Patty Jenkins; Paramount Wins Wild Auction https://t.co/GRZ3oh5mGj
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) October 11, 2020
The story of Cleopatra follows her life as the daughter of Ptolemy, an ancestor of the leader of Alexander the Great’s army, as she wins the Egyptian throne with the help of Roman ruler Julius Caesar. As Egypt is a subject of much fascination to Rome, Cleopatra spends a great deal of time with the rulers of Rome ultimately becoming lover to Julius Ceasar and later Marc Antony. Unfortunately, her alliance and dalliance with the later ultimately leads to the downfall of both of them. The story has all the features of a great romance, as well as a healthy dose of action and political intrigue.
Given this, it is unsurprising that Cleopatra’s story has been told on film before, the most famous example being the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor film that remains to this day the single most expensive movie ever made. Given Gal Gadot’s stunning performance in Wonder Woman and the peeks we’ve gotten of her upcoming performance in Kenneth Branagh’s period piece Death on the Nile, it looks Cleopatra will be spectacular.
