Gal Gadot Set to Star and Re-Team with Patty Jenkins in ‘Cleopatra’ for Paramount

Gal Gadot is set to play the legendary queen of Egypt in “Cleopatra,” a period biographical drama with director Patty Jenkins. Paramount Pictures reportedly won the auction for the epic story against the likes of Universal, Warner Bros, Netflix, and Apple. This will reunite the duo after their last film “Wonder Woman 1984.” Laeta Kalogridis will write the screenplay.

The film will be produced by Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven, Jenkins, Gadot, and her Pilot Wave Motion Pictures partner Jaron Varsano. Kalogridis will be the exec producer. The deal closed yesterday after Gadot — the film was her idea and generated by Pilot Wave — took part in a select number of Zoom pitches, accompanied by Jenkins, Roven, and Varsano, with Kalogridis laying out the beats of an epic story that is based on the research she did after Gadot enlisted her.

 

"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!!" said Gadot.

 

"As you might have heard I teamed up with Patty Jenkins and Laeta Kalogridis 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."

"And we are especially thrilled to be announcing this on International Day of the Girl, 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."

 

Gal Gadot also welcomes Leeta on this project "So excited to welcome my friend Laeta Kalogridis to twitter, go give her a follow. Can’t wait to tell the epic tale of Cleopatra with you!"

 

Laeta Kalogridis also reacted to the news saying, "Incredibly excited to get the chance to tell the story of Cleopatra, my favorite Ptolemaic Pharoah and arguably the most famous Macedonian Greek woman in history. Never thought I’d have the opportunity to tell a story like this, with women who have inspired me beyond words."

 

Cleopatra is the daughter of Ptolemy, the ancestor of the leader of Alexander the Great’s army. When Rome’s ruler Julius Caesar’s mentor-turned-rival Pompey fled to Egypt after a brutal war for control of the empire, Egypt became a fixation of Roman rulers. Two siblings battled for the throne of Egypt. After winning that internal struggle by appealing personally to Caesar, Cleopatra had a complicated relationship with Rome, becoming the lover of Caesar and later Marc Antony. The latter alliance would become the undoing of both Antony and Cleopatra.

 

Paramount Motion Picture Group President Emma Watts and the studio’s chairman Jim Gianopulos reportedly pushed hard to land “Cleopatra.” Watts, who joined the studio in June, has had a galvanic effect at the company, where insiders say she’s been encouraging her colleagues to get more aggressive in finding splashy material and urging them to think more creatively about reinvigorating tired franchises.

 

“Wonder Woman 1984” is expected to debut on December 25.