Hollywood knows that historical figures vanish if the studios don’t keep making films about them. So to preserve her legacy, Sony is planning a new take on the life of Cleopatra.
The studio has snapped up the film rights to a book by Pulitzer-scooping writer Stacy Schiff, which is so new it isn’t even finished yet. Schiff convinced Sony it would be a good idea based on a simple 10-page outline.
Of course, everyone remembers the last time the Egyptian got the movie treatment. No, not Carry On Cleo – we mean the 1963 budget buster which is still one of the priciest films ever made and was known more for Richard Burton and Liz Taylor’s affair than it’s own quality. Apparently Schiff’s ditching the pageantry and the pomp for a stare at Cleopatra the tactician and power-hungry murderer.
Scott Rudin’s producing, but there’s no director on board yet – hardly surprising as there’s also no script. Meanwhile, the book will hit shelves in 2009, so if you were planning to use a mouse-powered cart to reach the bookstore, you should be there in time.