Comparisons between superstar Angelina Jolie and ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra might seem hyperbolic, but they’ll soon be literal: After speculation about Jolie’s possible casting as Cleopatra lit up the Net on Thursday, Us Weekly reported Friday (June 11) that the actress will indeed portray Cleopatra on the big screen.





Jolie will appear in an upcoming historical biopic based on the soon-to-be-published “Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra: A Life,” publisher Little, Brown confirmed to UsMagazine.com. On Thursday, it was reported that movie producer Scott Rudin, who has been behind hit films like “Julie & Julia,” “No Country for Old Men” and “Doubt,” obtained the rights to the tome.

Little, Brown publisher Michael Pietsch said Jolie’s regal nature was one of the main reasons she was cast. “Angelina Jolie radiates grace and power, exactly the qualities that [author] Stacy Schiff finds in her biography of the most intriguing ruler who ever lived,” Pietsch told Us.

In an interview with the New York Daily News, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Schiff echoed Pietsch’s sentiments, saying, “I think she’d be perfect for it, and I can see a possible Oscar in her future.”

Hollywood has already brought Cleopatra’s story to the silver screen several times. The most well-known flick about the legendary ruler is the 1963 epic “Cleopatra,” which starred real-life couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Taylor took on the title role opposite Burton as her lover and Roman politico Mark Antony.

This summer, fans can catch Jolie in the spy thriller “Salt,” set to hit theaters in July.
source