The selection of Gal Gadot to portray Cleopatra in Paramount’s upcoming remake has sparked controversy following a viral tweet from Greek City Times. Earlier, Jada Smith faced severe backlash for casting Adele James, a black woman, as Cleopatra in a Netflix adaptation of The Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, instead of a Caucasian of Macedonian Greek descent.
The ongoing disputes between Hollywood, SAG, and WGA mean that Gal Gadot is unlikely to take on the role anytime soon. Nevertheless, it appears that Paramount and the Wonder Woman star might encounter similar criticism as Netflix’s docudrama did in May. The movie, initially planned as a Universal title, has faced delays since Patty Jenkins departed from the project in 2021.
Keri Skogland, the director of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, has taken over the directorial duties, but the film remains in pre-production without any information on the production start date, even before the SAG strike. The decision to cast an Israeli actress has sparked anger among various audiences, with some raising concerns about Gadot’s previous association with the Israeli military as a combat fitness instructor.
In a late June interview with Variety, Gadot defended her casting, citing her upbringing in Israel, where stories about Cleopatra were abundant, and she was regarded as a prominent historical figure. According to Gadot, Cleopatra represents a genuine strong female leader, contrasting with Wonder Woman, who is a fictional character.
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