*“Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot is catching heat after being cast in Paramount’s historic drama about Cleopatra, directed by Penny Jenkins and scripted by Laeta Kalogridis.
Gadot announced the casting Sunday on Twitter, writing “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. To tell her story for the first time through women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera,” she wrote.
“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,” Gadot added.
Kalogridis also took to social media to note that the story of Cleopatra is, “arguably the most famous Macedonian Greek woman in history,”she wrote on Twitter.
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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. To tell her story for the first time through women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera. pic.twitter.com/k5eyTIfzjB
— Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) October 12, 2020
Elizabeth Taylor famously played Cleopatra in director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1963 film.
Gadot’s casting has been met with a lukewarm response, with many Twitter users calling for a Egyptican actress or one of Greek descent to play the role.
I’m going to say this once and I’m not going to say it again, Cleopatra was Greek.
Yes, she was in Egyptian ruler but she was Greek with Persian and Syrian ancestry. The people who are reacting negatively that to this are uneducated and uninformed.
Gal Gadot deserves this role. pic.twitter.com/7h1oYu9ClX
— The Moonlight Warrior (@BlackMajikMan90) October 11, 2020
NYT bestselling author @Morgan Jerkins wrote, “I’m sure Gal Gadot is going to do a wonderful job as Cleopatra. However, for me personally, I would love a Cleopatra who’s darker than a brown paper bag, because that seems a bit more historically accurate.”
Journalist Sameera Khan wrote “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.”
“White libs flipped … out when white actors played MYTHICAL Egyptian gods in “Gods of Egypt,” but all is well when a WHITE Israeli actress of European descent is cast as Cleopatra,” Khan added.
Gadot has plenty of online supporters of her Cleopatra casting, with Twitter user The Moonlight Warrior writing “I’m going to say this once and I’m not going to say it again, Cleopatra was Greek. Yes, she was in Egyptian ruler but she was Greek with Persian and Syrian ancestry. The people who are reacting negatively that to this are uneducated and uninformed. Gal Gadot deserves this role.”
Do you agree?
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