HEAT FOR GADOT IN NEW ROLE

Cleopatra casting ignites backlash

Wonder Woman’s week has been anything but wonderful.

Actress Gal Gadot announced this week she’ll star as legendary Egyptian queen Cleopatra in a film from her “Wonder Woman” director, Patty Jenkins, and some of the reactions have been contentious.

“Which Hollywood dumb-ass thought it would be a good idea to cast an Israeli actress as Cleopatra (a very bland looking one) instead of a stunning Arab actress like Nadine Njeim?” journalist Sameera Khan tweeted Sunday, adding, “Shame on you, Gal Gadot. Your country steals Arab land & you’re stealing their movie roles ... smh.”

Others, who believe Cleopatra to have been Black, accused the film of “another attempt to white wash a historical figure” and Gadot of denying “important roles to women of color.”

“Ummm ... you’re not Egyptian though? Why would you accept a role that may offend others? ... It’s very selfish of you and I’ d re think the role ,” tweeted one user.

Actor and Amnesty UK Ambassador Nazanin Boniadi defending Gadot’s casting, writing, “Cleopatra was ethnically Macedonian Greek” and called for people to “stop shaming @GalGadot and dividing people based on falsities. Reserve your outrage for world issues that urgently need our attention.”

Though the iconic ruler was born in Egypt, she was “ethnically Greek” and not “ethnically Egyptian,” according to Smithsonian Magazine and History — formerly known as The History Channel.

Cleopatra “traced her family origins to Macedonian Greece and Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s generals,” and was the first in her line to learn the Egyptian language, having “embraced many of her country’s ancient customs.”

The 35-year-old “Justice League” star shared the casting news.

“As you might have heard I teamed up with @PattyJenks and @LKalogridis to bring the story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, to the big screen in a way she’s never been seen before ,” Gadot tweeted. “To tell her story for the first time through women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera.”

The casting of Israeli actress Gal Gadot as Cleopatra was controversial to some movie fans, who said the role should be filled by an Arab or Black actress.