TV Series African Queens: Queen Cleopatra

[BusSport]

African Queens: Queen Cleopatra is an upcoming "historical documentary" series on Netflix that will premiere on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, the series has been in the news and drawn controversy (for example, "Cleopatra's African Heritage in Netflix Docudrama Sparks Uproar in Egypt") for featuring a black Cleopatra.

In actual history, Cleopatra was Greek, a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt. Legend has it that if you point this out, Will Smith will suddenly appear and slap you.

 

[BusSport]

So, it's apparently terribad: 15% tomatometer, 3% audience score on RottenTomatoes.

 

[Knight&Day]

Damn. I guess they really weren’t kangz en shit.

 

[Knight&Day]

Although, the opening theater scene in Scream 2 is oddly much easier to sit through today than it was a decade or so ago.

 

[Volbound1700]

If you want to go with an African Queen from the Roman Era, why not her?

Amanirenas - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Unlike Cleopatra (who lost and ended a 200 year old dynasty), Amanirenas actually defeated the Romans. I can guarantee you she was actually black (She was from Kush which is in modern day Sudan).

I love the ideas about movies about more ancient civilizations/stories outside the norm. Cleopatra has been done to death, is really overrated as a leader (she got totally punked by Octavian), and was definitely not black (Macedonian Greek).

Amanirenas makes for a better story and checks all of the boxes the creators were looking for here.