10 Upcoming Movies That Are Causing Huge Controversy
8. Cleopatra
In October 2020, Gal Gadot was confirmed to be starring in a new Cleopatra movie, which is currently set to be directed by Kari Skogland (Falcon and the Winter Soldier).
Many expressed disappointment in Gadot's casting as the Egyptian queen given that Gadot is herself Israeli, with the filmmakers being criticised for conflating two national identities rather than casting an Egyptian actress in the role.
Given that the very white Elizabeth Taylor most famously played Cleopatra in the 1963 film, observers felt that, in the present day, a new Cleopatra film couldn't afford to cast the "wrong" person again.
Yet the matter of Cleopatra's actual racial and ethnic makeup is still debated among scholars, with the historical consensus being that she was primarily of Macedonian Greek ancestry with minor Iranian descent.
For her part, Gadot has spoken out about the controversy herself, noting that the filmmakers did endeavour to cast a Macedonian actress in the role, but upon finding no suitable choices turned to her instead.
Ultimately it's reasonable to expect Gadot's divisive casting to be a major talking point throughout production leading up to the film's release.