UPDATED: Denis Villeneuve’s reps have contacted me and are denying Richtman’s story.
EARLIER: Here’s another production sheet that Daniel Richtman just unearthed from his sources. It concerns Denis Villeneuve’s next film, or the one after “Dune: Part II.” It also confirms what I reported back in March …
Villeneuve‘a next film will be “Cleopatra” for Sony Pictures. The screenplay is said to be written by David Scarpa (“Napoleon”) and based on the best-selling book by Stacey Schiff. Production is supposed to begin sometime in 2024.
The story focuses on Cleopatra's ruthless rise to power using her skills as a seductress. I highly doubt it’ll bear any resemblance to the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor starring epic, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The sheet that Richtman posted reveals that Zendaya has already accepted the offer to take on the role of the young queen of Egypt. Timothée Chalamet has been offered the role of Octavius and Daniel Craig is being sought for Caesar.
In 2020, right before shooting “Dune,” Villeneuve had spoken to local Montreal outlet TVA, confirming that “Cleopatra” was very much on the way:
“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."
As mentioned, there‘a already been a famous Cleopatra movie released. That one starred Elizabeth Taylor and received mixed reviews in 1963. Its runtime was an astounding 4 hours and 8 minutes! It was 1963’s highest grossing film and, despite a few inaccuracies, was considered a fairly accurate look at Ancient Egypt during the time of the last active pharaoh.
Scarpa has mentioned that the script is a “political thriller. Dirty, bloody, lots of people swearing and having sex and all of that other stuff and just a two-hour, lean, mean political thriller, full of assassinations, etc. Just going the opposite direction from the way we think that movie is going to go.”
A hard R rating is inevitable.
Criterion's December lineup has some great additions to the library, but the title that jumped out at me is Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," which officially joins the Collection on December 8.