Though having worked in the film industry for over a decade now, Gal Gadot’s career seemingly began to take off the past few years as she has starred in the titular role of the latest remake of the Wonder Woman series. A commanding female role in the patriarchal world of superheroes, Gadot’s character stood out immediately and has been revered by both superhero enthusiasts and supporters of women’s empowerment alike, striking a rare chord between the two worlds. Gadot does not appear to be slowing down however, as she has seemingly taken the lead in pitching a new film titled Cleopatra based upon the last ancient Egyptian ruler and set to be directed by none other than the director of Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins.
Uniting forces to tackle another strong female lead, Gadot and Jenkins have been actively pitching the concept via Zoom calls to potential suitors interested in taking the chance on Gadot’s proposed period piece. In the end, Paramount Pictures came out on top with the winning bid and will work alongside Gadot in developing this new film over the coming years. Gadot and Jenkins will be teaming up alongside Laeta Kalogridis, creator of Altered Carbon, to write the screenplay for the piece, as well as Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven to produce the film. Certainly a promising lineup that is poised to bring Paramount and Gadot continued success as they pursue and develop Cleopatra.
This is certainly not the first attempt to capture the prowess of the last Egyptian ruler in all her might, but it is quite arguably the most promising. Several attempts were made in the 20th century, with an attempt in 1963 starring Elizabeth Taylor in the titular role nearly bankrupting 20th Century Fox as the budget for the film ballooned rapidly. While an estimated time frame for release has not been proposed for Cleopatra, it has been reported that Paramount is fast tracking the film, likely in hopes of cashing in on the hype surrounding Gadot right now throughout Hollywood. Regardless of their reasons, they have given Gadot and Jenkins the platform to work their magic once again, and with the impending release of Wonder Woman 1984 this upcoming Christmas we will get a taste of that magic sooner than anticipated.
