“And shame on you, Gal Gadot. Your country steals Arab land & you’re stealing their movie roles... [shaking my head]”.
Later, she retweeted another user who said: “Whatever you think of her being cast as Cleopatra, never forget that Gal Gadot proudly served (and continues to support) a colonial army notorious for maiming and murdering civilians.”
Abdul El-Sayed, an American politician and medical doctor, asked: “So...there were no Egyptian women to play, um, an *Egyptian* queen?”
“People are upset because Gal Gadot, who isn't black, is playing Cleopatra, who wasn’t black either,” Journalist Ian Miles Cheong quipped.
Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro wrote: “Only the fossilized remains of Cleopatra are allowed to play Cleopatra”.
“Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. Can’t be more excited and grateful,” Ms Gadot wrote on her Instagram.
The script will be penned by Laeta Kalogridis, who is responsible for Shutter Island and Terminator Genisys.
