MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

‘Did they run out of Greek actresses’: Rumors of Zendaya as lead in Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Cleopatra’ sparks debate on race and ethnicity

Rumors suggest that 'Dune' director Denis Villeneuve has roped in Zendaya to play the titular character in his upcoming political thriller 'Cleopatra'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: According to insider Daniel Richtman (via Patreon), a production sheet that has been unearthed details Denis Villeneuve’s next film after the release of ‘Dune: Part II.’

According to the World of Reel, Villeneuve‘s next film will be ‘Cleopatra’ for Sony Pictures.

‘Dune’ star Zendaya is set to portray the Egyptian ruler and the screenplay has been written by ‘Napoleon’ writer David Scarpa.

Additionally, per the sheet shared by Richtman, it has been confirmed that Zendaya has accepted the offer to play the role of the young queen of Egypt, while Timothee Chalamet has been offered the role of Octavius.

‘Knives Out’ star Daniel Craig is being considered for the role of Caesar.

The movie will be based on the bestselling ‘Cleopatra: A Life’ by Stacy Schiff, and will supposedly start production in 2024.

What are the hints that point us to this speculation?

During 2020, before the commencement of filming for ‘Dune,’ filmmaker Denis Villeneuve spoke with Montreal-based news outlet TVA, and provided confirmation that his upcoming project, ‘Cleopatra,’ was indeed in active development.

He said, “There is of course the second part of Dune, which I hope I have the chance to shoot eventually. But I also have a historical film project on the life of Cleopatra. This project is underway and it excites me a lot. I hope I can bring it to the screen before or after filming the second part of Dune."

David Scarpa noted in a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “With Cleopatra … instead of doing the movie as the prestige picture — the three-hour, lots of pageantry, people with fans and English accents and all that stuff — [we] really treat it as a political thriller.

Dirty, bloody, lots of people swearing and having sex and all of that other stuff and just treat it as a two-hour, lean, mean political thriller, full of assassinations, etc.  Just going the opposite direction from the way we think that movie is going to go.”

The narrative delves into the intriguing story of Cleopatra's cunning and calculated ascent to the throne, utilizing her exceptional abilities as a seductress.

It has been a few years since the development of the 'Cleopatra' movie. Angelina Jolie was initially set to star in the movie with Ang Lee as the director in 2016.

However, there were concerns about Jolie's “ethnic suitability" for the role at the time.

In the 2023 Netflix documentary 'Queen Cleopatra', Adele James, who is of mixed ancestry, portrayed Cleopatra.

As it was presented as a documentary, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities emphasized the importance of investigating accuracy and relying on historical and scientific facts.

Bas reliefs and coins from Cleopatra's time period depict her as a light-skinned woman, reflecting her Macedonian Greek heritage.

Although Egypt is on the African continent and there was a diverse population among Egyptians due to the kingdom's international nature, ancient Egyptians looked similar to contemporary Egyptians.

If Zendaya, who is also a light-skinned biracial woman, were to play the role of Cleopatra, it may repeat the same mistake made by Netflix.

However, as the rumored Villeneuve film is not presented as a documentary, there may be some flexibility in that regard.

Internet reacts to rumors of Zendaya playing Cleopatra

The Internet came out with reactions both in support and against this casting choice.

While some are genuinely happy to see Zendaya seduce her way to the throne in the film, others are blaming Hollywood for not casting actors with accurate ethnicity to portray the titular character.

One user said, "What’s hollywoods obsession with casting anyone but Greek people for cleopatra movies?"

Another user said, "Did they run out of Greek actresses?"

Another user wrote, "Cleopatra was Greek."

One X user wrote, "I’m picturing Daniel Craig in the uniform and the Caesar cut, and it’s…pretty much perfect…"

Another user quipped, "Totally unrealistic. She looks nothing like Elizabeth Taylor," referring to the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor starring epic, directed by Joseph L Mankiewicz.

Another user said, "Whats their obsession with race swapping every character now".

One user wrote, "This sounds incredible".

While this user tweeted, "This is so exciting!"