Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Cleopatra is one of the most famous movies ever made, but it’s also one of only a handful of big screen adaptations about the legendary ancient Egyptian queen. There has long been talk of a modern offering, but nothing has yet come to fruition.
There have been various rumours about who could take on the title role and which director could get behind the project, with three different potential projects touted.
Three Huge Actors Linked with Role of Egyptian Queen
With Cleopatra being one of the most famous historical figures of all time, there are only a few actors with enough pulling power to take on the role. It’s no surprise, then, that three of the biggest names in Hollywood have been linked with playing the Egyptian queen.
Gal Gadot, Angelina Jolie, and Zendaya have all recently been rumoured for the role, each in completely separate projects from different film studios. Gadot’s version of Cleopatra was first plugged in 2020, with Universal behind the project. Zendaya is reportedly the number one choice for Denis Villeneuve’s potential Cleopatra offering, and Jolie was thought to be the chosen star in a David Fincher-directed version.
Although there have been plenty of rumours, none of these pictures have been officially confirmed yet. However, it is exciting to know that major studios and various huge names want to make the film happen.
A New Cleopatra Film Could Be a Commercial Success
In the modern world of epic blockbusters, Cleopatra could be a massive hit. There’s a huge market out there for historical offerings, with Gladiator 2 recently pulling in more than $462 million at the box office worldwide. In television, some of the greatest hits of recent years have been inspired by or loosely based on history, with Game of Thrones and Vikings two of the best examples.
The online casino market also highlights how much interest there is in ancient history. Indeed, Ancient Egypt is one of the most popular genres for jackpot casino games, and the Cleopatra has been one of the biggest crowd pleasing titles for years. It’s clear that there’s a huge market out there for this type of content, meaning that a new Cleopatra film would likely attract huge viewing figures.
Which Film is Most Likely to Be Made?
Jolie’s Cleopatra is already officially cancelled, so there’s now little chance that the 50-year-old will play the ancient Egyptian ruler. That means that the competition is between Gadot and Zendaya.
There’s a chance that both films will be made eventually, but currently it looks like the Gadot version will go ahead first. That’s because it was recently announced that Universal has begun location scouting for the picture in Morocco. As for the Zendaya-led offering, there have been some reports that early drafts are in progress.
With so much talk around a new Cleopatra film, it seems likely that one will happen sooner or later. Currently, the smart money could be on the Gadot version. That’s because Villeneuve is now reportedly working on a follow-up to Dune: Part Two, which is scheduled to release in 2026.
