Gal Gadot’s Cleopatra will be ‘sexy’ and ‘smart’ in new biopic

Gal Gadot is ready for her next gig — playing the iconic Egyptian queen Cleopatra.

The Israeli actress, 36, teased her upcoming biopic about the ancient pharaoh.

“I can’t reveal a lot, but I can tell you that we’re going to celebrate the Cleopatra story,” Gadot revealed to InStyle in its February 2022 issue.

“We’re going to show not just how sexy and appealing she was, but how strategic and smart, and how much impact she had and still has on the world we’re living in today,” the “Wonder Woman” actress continued.

When Gadot’s role was announced in October 2020, backlash erupted over fears she’d be whitewashing the character. Critics believed that an Arab or African actress should play the role of Cleopatra.

“First of all, if you want to be true to the facts, then Cleopatra was Macedonian,” Gadot fired back at BBC Arabic in December 2020. “We were looking for a Macedonian actress that could fit Cleopatra. She wasn’t there. And I was very passionate about Cleopatra.”

She noted, “I have friends from across the globe, whether they’re Muslims or Christian or Catholic or atheist or Buddhist, or Jewish, of course … People are people. And with me, I want to celebrate the legacy of Cleopatra and honor this amazing historic icon that I admire so much.”

Meanwhile, the “Red Notice” star recalled another moment in the hot seat: her epically cringe-worthy, star-studded “Imagine” video. She admitted it was “in poor taste.”

The clip was shared in March 2020 during pandemic lockdowns in the US and Europe and featured her celebrity friends singing the John Lennon song. Many fans thought it was tone-deaf due to the economic hardship and death caused by the coronavirus.

“I was calling Kristen [Wiig] and I was like, ‘Listen, I want to do this thing,’ ” Gadot told the outlet. “The pandemic was in Europe and Israel before it came here [to the US] in the same way. I was seeing where everything was headed. But [the video] was premature.” 

She added, “It wasn’t the right timing, and it wasn’t the right thing. It was in poor taste. All pure intentions, but sometimes you don’t hit the bull’s-eye, right?”