Screenwriter Brian Helgeland has revealed some details of his script for the film about Cleopatra which was to star Angelina Jolie.
Screenwriter Brian Helgeland shared some details about the film on Cleopatra that he should have played Angelina Jolie.
The biopic project had David Fincher attached to direct and the studio that was backing its development was Sony Pictures.
The details of the plot
In an interview with Inverse, Helgeland recalled that he was the first author involved in the film Cleopatra while it was in development with the involvement of Angelina Jolie as the protagonist. Brian explained: “It had elements of a political thriller with murder and sex, but also made room for her love stories with Caesar and Mark Antony. Many of the actual events surprised me as I was writing it“.
For example, the screenwriter underlined that Cleopatra was in Rome when Caesar was murdered and had been killed precisely because he was about to leave the city with her: “That element is historically true and was in the script“. Helgeland further added that Cleopatra wrote Mark Antony’s speech declaring herself “friends, Romans, compatriots” because he didn’t know what to say. The screenwriter pointed out: “But she’s the one suggesting the words to him and it’s kind of her way of saying ‘fuck’ to these men because she’s smart enough and he’s not.“.
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Brian further explained that he is not involved with the current version of the film Cleopatra which is being written by Krysty Wilson-Cairns and is expected to be directed by Denis Villeneuve: “I have no idea if that script is being used, but I would be very happy if it was“.
Angelina Jolie, way back in 2011, explained that the film would offer an accurate portrait of the iconic historical figure, arguing that Cleopatra was misunderstood and often did not remember that she was a woman capable of speaking five languages, being a leader and a very strong mother.
