Deadline is reporting the long-gestating remake of classic epic Cleopatra has scored a new writer to help bring the story back to the big screen.
David Scarpa (The Day The Earth Stood Still) has signed on to the project, which is based on the bestselling book Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. Producers Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal are behind the film, which has Angelina Jolie (By The Sea) still attached to play the title character.
A new version has been in the offing for many years, with both James Cameron (Avatar) and David Fincher (Gone Girl) at one time or another attached to direct.
The two most famous versions of Cleopatra were released in 1934 and 1963 respectively: the earlier version starred Claudette Colbert and Warren William, with the latter starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, which – despite its famous production problems that closed the doors of 20th Century Fox for a time – went on to gross $55 million, or around $584 million adjusted for inflation.
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