Merrick here...
Producer Scott Rudin (THE QUEEN, THE TRUMAN SHOW, THE VILLAGE, and many others ) has plugged into the movie adaptation of a yet-to-be-published book about Cleopatra by Pulitzer Prizer Stacy Schiff. The book’s rights were recently secured by Columbia Pictures, even though publication likely won’t come about until at least 2009. I’m humbled by such farsighted planning; perhaps I need to start thinking ahead. In 2009…I’ll definitely go to Taco Bell.

Book will present her as a firm ruler and military tactician who embarked on a ruthless rise to power. Cleopatra twce married brothers, killing each of them as well as a sister. Romantic alliances with the much-older Roman honchos Julius Caesar and Marc Antony helped her solidify power, but her dalliance with Antony undid both of them.

Wikipedia says there have been, like, 800 trillion CLEOPATRA projects thus far: notably in 1912, 1917, 1920, 1934, 1963, and 1999. She’s also appeared as a character in many other productions. It’ll be interesting to see how “fresh” the idea/character will actually feel, despite their best intentions. I once had a brief...encounter...with a smolderin’ half Latin/half Egyptian babe who dressed as Cleopatra for Halloween; don’t know where she is now. As a result, this film may be frustratingly fetishistic for me.

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At the risk of sounding far too Geeky (is that possible on this site?), it's too bad Captain Kirk never took on Cleopatra -- that woulda been cool. Guess they came close with Elan of Troyus…