The definition of insanity is basically a meme at this point, so you’ve got to question the logic of Hollywood continually trying to mount a brand new blockbuster focusing on the life and times of legendary Egyptian ruler Cleopatra.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s 1963 classic may have endured as an ode to the opulence of Golden Age cinema, but it only turned a profit once syndication deals had been struck, with what was the most expensive production in the history of cinema at the time coming perilously close to bankrupting 20th Century Fox.
Undeterred, it’s been almost 15 years since intentions were first signaled to re-tell the ancient tale, and in that time we’ve seen countless creatives come and go. Among the raft of directors and stars to have circled at various points are Ang Lee, James Cameron, Paul Greengrass, David Fincher, Angelina Jolie, Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, and Kari Skogland, but The Hot Mic Podcast’s Jeff Sneider claims that another A-list duo are planning on giving it another shot.
This time around, Dune‘s Denis Villenueve and Zendaya have been floated as the potential front-runners, and while Cleopatra seems a little too sun-baked for the filmmaker’s established visual aesthetic, it’d be an interesting pairing nonetheless. Needless to say, there’s going to be questions asked of whoever ends up playing the lead role, but it’s all dependent on whether or not the film can actually enter production this time.
Based on the law of averages, that’s the most pertinent inquiry of all.