Gal Gadot has been cast as Cleopatra for a biopic directed by Patty Jenkins

Deadline reports that Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot has been cast as Cleopatra for a new and untitled biopic.

Yes, this could be problematic but then again the studio and director Patty Jenkins herself was quick to chime in on the casting. 

Ok so for the main meat. Gal Gadot as Cleopatra. She’s drop dead gorgeous, can act, has a sexy accent and can kick ass both off the screen and on-screen. She’s playing the role of Cleopatra who was by her standards was also a badass. The biopic will be produced by Paramount Pictures and will be written by  Laeta Kalogridis in a retelling of the epic tale made famous by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 classic.

Here’s a quick summary of her from Wikipedia in case you flunked History 101.

Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. As a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great.

Gadot had this to say about her recent casting:

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 Problem

The problem (and I’m taking a cue from various online sources ok?) is that Cleopatra was a ruler of Egypt and Gadot is Israeli. See the problem? Israel and it’s neighboring middle eastern countries have been at each other’s throats for the last hundred of years. And casting an Israeli to play an Egyptian royal is BAAAAAADDDDD NEWS. 

But then again, the Internet and Jenkins swoop in to quash the angry other half who wants Cleo to be played by an Arab or Black actress. 

Jenkins was then quick to point out that Cleopatra is of Greek descent. Here’s something taken from one of the many educational sources online.