Gal Gadot, Patty Jenkins Reteam for ‘Cleopatra’ at Paramount

After making two “Wonder Woman” movies collectively at Warner Bros., Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins will head to Paramount to make the historic epic “Cleopatra” after the studio received an intense bidding battle for the actor/director duo’s upcoming undertaking.

The acquisition is the primary main one for Paramount since Emma Watts joined the studio as Motion Picture Group President. Watts, who left 20th Century Fox shortly after its acquisition by Disney, joined Paramount this previous June. While Paramount has discovered reliable success with the “Mission: Impossible” sequence and strong income from titles like “A Quiet Place” and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” the studio has been looking for extra main blockbuster tasks because the once-reliable “Transformers” franchise has faltered on the field workplace lately.

In addition to respectively appearing and directing on the undertaking, Gadot and Jenkins will each produce alongside Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Pilot Waves, Jason Varsano, who’s Gadot’s producing companion. Laeta Kalogridis, whose credit embody “Alexander,” “Shutter Island” and “Alita: Battle Angel,” will write the script and function govt producer.

Alongside her father, brothers and sons, Cleopatra dominated for 21 years and was the final main ruler of Egypt earlier than it grew to become a province of the Roman Empire. Despite technically sharing the title of regent with others in her household, she was often called dominant ruler of Egypt on the time and have become identified each in historical past and widespread tradition for her romantic and political relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

Hollywood has tackled Cleopatra’s life a number of instances previously, however maybe probably the most well-known is the 1963 sword and sandals epic starring Elizabeth Taylor because the queen with Richard Burton as Mark Antony. The movie supplied loads of fodder for the gossip columns as Taylor and Burton had an affair whereas portraying Cleopatra and Antony’s romance onscreen. Despite being the highest-grossing movie that 12 months and profitable 4 Oscars from 9 nominations, “Cleopatra” was initially a flop as quite a few capturing scandals, together with director and solid adjustments, led to the movie turning into the most costly manufacturing in Hollywood historical past on the time.

Jenkins and Gadot’s rise over the previous three years has been far much less scandalous. “Wonder Woman,” which grossed $812.5 million on the international field workplace in 2017, holds the document for the best grossing movie directed by a girl. The sequel, “Wonder Woman 1984,” was anticipated to be considered one of a number of blockbusters directed by girls in 2020 to have a possibility to crack the $1 billion field workplace mark; however the COVID-19 pandemic has pressured it to be repeatedly delayed. “WW84” is now set for launch on Christmas Day, although one other delay to 2021 remains to be potential.

Gadot is repped by WME. Jenkins is repped by CAA.