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'Wonder Woman' Gal Gadot to star as Cleopatra, sparking dispute over Israeli in role
Times of Israel ^ | Oct 2020 | Staff

Posted on 10/12/2020 1:41:05 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

Israel-born actress Gal Gadot announced Sunday that she would team up again with “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins in a new film about the legendary Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. The film will be produced by Paramount and written by Laeta Kalogridis in a retelling of the epic tale made famous by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 classic. The announcement drew criticism, with some railing against the casting of an Israeli as the Queen of Egypt...

“Which Hollywood dumba** thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra...instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim?” tweeted journalist Sameera Khan.

“How about they cast someone with North African blood! someone like Sofia Boutella! I’m so sick of casting white actors and Israelis as pharaohs and arab roles!...” wrote another Twitter user.

-However, many, including the screenplay author, were quick to point out that Cleopatra was neither Arab nor Black, but rather a Macedonian Greek.

“Incredibly excited to get the chance to tell the story of Cleopatra, my favorite Ptolemaic Pharoah and arguably the most famous Macedonian Greek woman in history,” tweeted Kalogridis.

(Cleopatra was the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, descended from Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great.)

Gadot did not react to the controversy, but later tweeted that the film would mark the first time Cleopatra’s story would be told through “women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera.”

Gadot’s Israeli heritage has caused her some problems in the Arab world before, with Lebanon banning “Wonder Woman” because she starred in it. Gadot, who like most young Israelis did military service, made headlines in 2014 with a Facebook post expressing solidarity with Israeli citizens under Hamas rocket fire...

(Excerpt) Read more at timesofisrael.com ...


TOPICS: History; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: antisemitism; cleopatra; cleopatravii; egypt; facebook; gadot; galgadot; godsgravesglyphs; greek; hollywood; israel; jenkins; laetakalogridis; macedonian; nadinenjeim; paramount; pattyjenkins; romanempire; sameerakhan; sofiaboutella; twitter; wonderwoman
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
They should just pick a transgender and watch their money circle down the drain.

81 posted on 10/12/2020 3:28:35 PM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
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To: FLT-bird
I have no problem with Gal in the role, but I will fantasize that she can sing like this Cleopatra belting a tune by one of the world's greatest composer for the voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJCg3055D7U
82 posted on 10/12/2020 3:29:27 PM PDT by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Personally, I’ll watch a movie featuring Gal Gadot reading the phone book, so who cares?


83 posted on 10/12/2020 3:30:50 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.d)
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To: montag813

Exactly, and the ancient Egyptians were Semites as were the ancient Jews and just about everyone in the Middle Mast and Nile river basin circa 50 BC.


84 posted on 10/12/2020 3:35:13 PM PDT by jpsb
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To: D Rider
The most powerful men in the world desired her for her intelligence and political savy, of all things.

I suspect they desired her mostly for her kingdom. Intelligence and political savvy aren't that hard to find, but single women with a kingdom - that's a catch.
85 posted on 10/12/2020 3:36:32 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: facedown

Egyptians had slaves.


86 posted on 10/12/2020 3:41:17 PM PDT by Do_Tar (To my NSA handler: I have an alibi.)
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To: lee martell

Yes. They also had a huge hit with “Walk like an Egyptian”, and in the video for the song, Susanna Hoffs was smokin’ hot.


87 posted on 10/12/2020 3:46:57 PM PDT by Lite
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To: Lite
Susanna Hoffs was smokin’ hot.

Still is.

88 posted on 10/12/2020 3:50:29 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: mdmathis6
She was not a descendant of Alexander. Ptolemy was one of his generals, who received Egypt to rule after Alexander's unexpected death (at age 33). Hence the name of the dynasty.

The family adopted almost all the customs and rituals of the Pharaohs to give the population the sense of continuity and avoid insurrection. That included incestuous marriage in order to keep the bloodline "pure". Cleo had her young brother killed and avoided that, and her only issue was the (supposed?) son of Julius Caesar, Caesarian. Octavian made sure he didn't make it either.

89 posted on 10/12/2020 3:54:28 PM PDT by katana
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To: ConservativeInPA

That would require creativity and originality, things that have been missing in Hollywood for decades.


90 posted on 10/12/2020 4:02:51 PM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek
She was a woman you could imagine creating a dynasty with. Julius Caesar considered her as an equal. Intelligence and political savy and good counsel was not easy to find in a woman at that time.
91 posted on 10/12/2020 4:15:54 PM PDT by D Rider
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To: dp0622
Who the hell cares?

Nothing brings a crowd of liberals together faster than something that is none of their damn business.

92 posted on 10/12/2020 4:17:12 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there..)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
The spending on the Cleopatra movie production was so lavish it darn near bankrupted 20th Century Fox. Even though it was a box office hit, the movie still lost money.

Fortunately, The Longest Day, filmed about the same time, was such a big hit Fox was saved, for then anyway.

93 posted on 10/12/2020 4:18:59 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: katana

Yup....thus I’m now been better schooled! Thanks! :)


94 posted on 10/12/2020 4:23:59 PM PDT by mdmathis6
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Liberals are ignorant.

While there is a cure for ignorance (it’s called knowledge) one can be certain that they will pursue that cure.


95 posted on 10/12/2020 4:27:52 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there..)
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To: ChildOfThe60s

lol

Like I’ve said before, if they want to stop cultural appropriation, anyone who isn’t European of of European descent is gonna be shocked how much their life sucks afterwards.


96 posted on 10/12/2020 4:36:22 PM PDT by dp0622 (Tried a coup, a fake tax story, tramp slander, Russia nonsense, impeachment and a virus. They lost.)
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To: dfwgator

Saw her in a small club post Bangles. Can’t even remember the year now. Either 90s or the OOs. It was a good show and she sang a few Bangles songs.


97 posted on 10/12/2020 4:38:32 PM PDT by xp38
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To: VanDeKoik

Usually the same people that dont know that Egypt was so old that Cleopatra lived closer to us now than she did to the time the pyramids were built, and likely didnt speak Egyptian.


Actually, she was the first Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt who did speak Egyptian


98 posted on 10/12/2020 4:39:58 PM PDT by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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To: dp0622

It needs yelling again. “SHUT UP AND ACT!” to paraphrase Zappa


99 posted on 10/12/2020 4:40:33 PM PDT by Long Jon No Silver
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I had my mouth washed out with soap for drawing her cleavage on dads afternoon newspaper


100 posted on 10/12/2020 4:42:38 PM PDT by Long Jon No Silver
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