Denis Villeneuve’s career certainly is on the rise, especially coming off chatter that Blade Runner 2049 will be hailed as a ‘masterpiece’, and now comes word that the director may be attached to another big, long-developed film over at Sony. Deadline has reported Villenueve is being courted to direct Cleopatra, based on the infamous Egyptian queen, with Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal producing.
The script, written by David Scarpa, Eric Roth and Brian Helgeland, is based upon Stacy Schiff’s biography on Cleopatra. The project has been over at Sony for many years, with directors such as James Cameron and David Fincher orbiting it, along with Angelina Jolie being eyed for the title role.
The last member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra ruled over Egypt for much of her life, surviving a civil war with her brother, Ptolemy, and making an alliance with Rome under Julius Caesar and later having a romance with Marc Antony. Because of her actions throughout her life, she is regarded as one of history’s most complex and polarizing figures based on her motives.
After Blade Runner 2049’s release, Villenueve is set to direct an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi Dune, something Villenueve has considered a long-time dream. Deadline notes that the expectation is that he can work on developing Cleopatra while directing Dune. However, presumably it would rule him out of contention for Bond 25, where it has been said he’s Daniel Craig’s choice to helm the next instalment of the 007 series.
Originally published September 28, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
