Variety are reporting that Columbia Pictures have acquired the rights to bring the story of
Cleopatra to our cinema screens. The movie will be an adaptation from a book currently being written (due for 2009 release) by biographer
Stacy Schiff, who herself earns a very nice seven figure sum for the deal. The film will focus on Cleopatra's rise to power and her romantic relationships with Julius Cesar and Marc Anthony which ultimately led to her downfall and eventual suicide. Of course this won't be the first time a movie has being made on the Egyptian Queen. The most famous adaptation is the 1963 movie starring
Richard Burton and
Elizabeth Taylor which was riddled with production problems ultimately making it one of the most expensive movies ever made (and one of the longest with a director's cut of the film running at over 5 hours long!!). Anyone seen the 1963 film? I have to be honest as good a reputation as the film has, I haven't seen it and have always been put off by it's huge running time. source -
variety,
coming soon