Gal Gadot Says Cleopatra Remake Has a “Beautiful Script”

From Wonder Woman to The Fast and the Furious, Gal Gadot has been at the center of some pretty major franchises. One high-profile project that is set to join her filmography is a new take on Cleopatra, chronicling the life of the iconic queen. Gadot has been attached to star in the project for quite a while now, and as new comments from the actress reveal, she absolutely wants to do the story justice. While speaking to Flaunt magazine, Gadot expressed that Cleopatra will hopefully subvert the cultural expectations and misconceptions surrounding the titular character, with the help of the film’s largely-female creative team.

“Cleopatra has been done a few times before in a brilliant way, but I know that our generation and youngsters know very little about Cleopatra,” Gadot explained. “They know she was a seductive person who had an affair with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar, but really when you read about Cleopatra and her life and legacy, and the empire she ruled, she was brilliant. There’s so much that we’ve never heard about her and I just want to celebrate that.”

“It’s a big task,” Gadot added. “I don’t want to [rush] making it— it’s something that needs…so much thought and care because it’s Cleopatra. We have incredible writers working on the script—before and after the writer’s strike—like Laeta Kalogridis. It’s a beautiful script. We’re not rushing ourselves because you have to be responsible when you deal with such an incredible, iconic, legendary woman.”

Who Is Directing the Cleopatra Remake?

Cleopatra was originally set to be directed by Patty Jenkins, Gadot’s collaborator on the Wonder Woman movies, before she stepped aside to focus on Disney’s now-on-hold Star Wars: Rogue Squadron movie. The film is currently expected to be helmed by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Kari Skogland, with a script from Birds of Prey‘s Laeta Kalogridis. 

“Israel borders Egypt, and I grew up with so many stories about Cleopatra, and she’s like a household name,” Gadot recently told Vogue Hong Kong. “You know, if Wonder Woman is the imaginary strong female leader, Cleopatra’s actually the real one. That’s a perfect example of a story that I wanted to tell because I started reading different books about Cleopatra, and I said, Wow, that’s fascinating. All I ever saw in regards to Cleopatra from film, was that she was this seductive woman who had an affair with Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony. But the truth is, there’s so much more to her. This woman was so ahead of her time. Egypt and what Egypt was back then, was still futuristic to where we are today. I can’t say much. But to me, I’m so passionate to tell her story and to bring justice to this character, and her legacy and celebrate her and her legacy. We have a beautiful script, and I cannot wait to share this story with the world and change the narrative of Cleopatra simply being a seductor.”

Will Gal Gadot Return For Wonder Woman 3?

As Gadot told ComicBook.com in a recent interview, the plan is for her to collaborate on a third Wonder Woman movie with new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

“I love portraying Wonder Woman,” Gadot said. “It’s so close to and dear to my heart. From what I heard from James and from Peter is that we’re gonna develop a Wonder Woman 3 together.”

What do you think of the newest update surrounding Gal Gadot’s Cleopatra movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!