Earlier
this
week,
it
was
reported
that
Israeli
actress
Gal
Gadot
will
be
joining
the
Wonder
Woman
director
Patty
Jenkins
once
again
for
another
film.
It
was
also
revealed
that
Gal
is
set
to
play
Cleopatra
in
a
period
biographical
drama
scripted
by
Laeta
Kalogridis.
However,
fans
have
shown
unrest
over
an
Israeli
white
woman
being
cast
as
an
Arab
Queen
in
Paramount's
upcoming
film.
Deadline
reported
that
the
film
was
Gadot's
idea
and
is
being
billed
as
an
epic
biographical
drama.
While
sharing
the
news
on
Twitter
the
Wonder
Woman
actress
wrote,
"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."
Fans
Called
Out
Makers
For
Casting
A
White
Woman
While
fans
were
excited,
the
news
did
draw
some
criticism.
Netizens
also
questioned
the
representation
of
the
Egyptian
ruler
and
whether
the
Israeli
actress
is
right
for
the
role.
Some
raised
concerns
about
the
actress
being
Israeli
while
others
said
the
role
should
have
gone
to
a
woman
of
colour.
One
user
wrote,
"And
shame
on
you,
Gal
Gadot.
Your
country
steals
Arab
land
&
you're
stealing
their
movie
roles...
smh."
Another
user
said,
"I'm
sure
Gal
Gadot
is
going
to
do
a
wonderful
job
as
Cleopatra.
However,
for
me
personally,
I
would
love
a
Cleopatra
who's
darker
than
a
brown
paper
bag,
because
that
seems
a
bit
more
historically
accurate."
Netizens
Also
Voiced
Concerns
About
Casting
An
Israeli
Actress
However,
Gadot
is
not
the
first
white
woman
cast
in
the
role
of
the
Egyptian
queen.
Claudette
Colbert,
Vivien
Leigh
and
Elizabeth
Taylor
have
portrayed
the
historical
figure
in
the
past.
But
netizens
also
had
suggestions
for
a
better
cast.
A
Twitter
user
said,
"Which
Hollywood
dumbass
thought
it
would
be
a
good
idea
to
cast
an
Israeli
actress
as
Cleopatra
(a
very
bland
looking
one)
instead
of
a
stunning
Arab
actress
like
Nadine
Njeim?"
The
Film
Is
Set
To
Be
Directed
By
Patty
Jenkins
Notably,
Cleopatra
was
a
descendant
of
Ptolemy
I,
a
Macedonian
Greek
who
established
himself
as
the
King
of
Egypt
after
the
death
of
his
companion,
Alexander
the
Great.
Coming
back
to
the
film,
written
by
Laeta
Kalogridis
it
is
said
to
be
a
retelling
of
the
1963
classic
titled
Cleopatra,
which
became
famous
because
of
Elizabeth
Taylor's
performance.