The new star sensation Gal Gadot’s next big project is a film on Egyptian queen Cleopatra. The actor will reunite with her ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins for the movie.
“I love embarking on new journeys, I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life. Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. Can’t be more grateful about this A team!!” the actor wrote on Twitter.
However, movie buffs are debating on Twitter whether an Israeli actor is the right choice for an Egyptian queen. “Which Hollywood dumbass thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra (a very bland looking one) instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim? And shame on you, Gal Gadot. Your country steals Arab land & you’re stealing their movie roles… smh,” read a tweet.
But the writer of that tweet was soon schooled about the real origins of Cleopatra, who is not known to be an Egyptian native. Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and was of Macedonian-Greek descent. She descended from Ptolemy I Soter, the founder of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and a companion of Alexander The Great.
“So, she didn’t know Cleopatra was Greek & she calls the stunning Gal Gadot “very bland looking”. Pathological hatred of Israel does strange things to people’s brains,” read a tweet. “Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, was cast to play Cleopatra. Now we’re finding out how many people didn’t know that Cleopatra wasn’t actually of Egyptian descent,” read another tweet.
The Queen of Nile was played by actor Elizabeth Taylor in 1963’s Cleopatra, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The film went on to win four Academy Awards. Prior to Taylor, American-French film actor Claudette Colbert played the role in 1934’s Cecil B. DeMille-directed Cleopatra.
