Zendaya's rumoured casting in Cleopatra raises ethnicity concerns as the latter was Greek

Insider Daniel Richtman has revealed details about Denis Villeneuve's upcoming project, Cleopatra, following the release of Dune: Part II. The filmmaker will be collaborating with Napoleon writer David Scarpa for the script, based on Stacy Schiff's biography Cleopatra: A Life. Notably, Zendaya is set to portray the iconic queen. However, the casting choice has stirred a mix of excitement and criticism on social media.

Denis Villeneuve's confirmation

As per the World of Reel, Denis Villeneuve had confirmed the development of Cleopatra back in 2020, expressing his enthusiasm for the historical film alongside the anticipation of shooting the second part of Dune. The filmmaker shared his hope to bring Cleopatra to the screen either before or after completing Dune: Part II.

"There is of course the second part of Dune, which I hope I have the chance to shoot eventually. But I also have a historical film project on the life of Cleopatra. This project is underway and it excites me a lot. I hope I can bring it to the screen before or after filming the second part of Dune," Denis said to TVA.

According to the production sheet, Zendaya has accepted the role of Cleopatra in Denis Villeneuve's project. The actress gained fame for her role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The sheet also reveals potential roles for other actors, with Timothee Chalamet considered for Octavius and Daniel Craig for Caesar.

Zendaya's character in Cleopatra faces criticism

The casting choice of Zendaya as Cleopatra has ignited a diverse range of reactions on social media. Some express excitement about Zendaya's portrayal, especially alongside Daniel Craig, who is deemed a great casting choice for Caesar. However, others criticise Hollywood for not accurately representing Cleopatra's Greek ethnicity, with debates over historical accuracy and casting decisions.

"What's hollywoods obsession with casting anyone but Greek people for Cleopatra movies?" wrote a social media user on X.

"Cleopatra was Greek," said another X user in the comments.

"Cleopatra was GREEK. Not African, GREEK. How about we make a "Shaka Zulu" movie and have some blonde haired White guy play him? Stop black-washing real historical figures," read another comment.

While some users on social media platforms support Zendaya and the casting choices, others critique Hollywood's historical inaccuracies, emphasising Cleopatra's Greek heritage. Some users question the need for casting actors outside of the depicted ethnicity for historical roles.