Entertainment · Film · 2 hrs ago
Scorsese Says Sony Hack Helped Sink His Planned Cleopatra Film
Martin Scorsese says a planned Cleopatra film was derailed after the 2014 Sony hack.
The film was to star Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra VII, the ancient Egyptian ruler.
The hack followed a dispute over The Interview, a comedy starring Seth Rogen that depicted a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Scorsese said the fallout affected Sony, which is part of Columbia, and damaged the film’s prospects.
The hack also exposed emails in which producer Scott Rudin insulted Jolie.
Scorsese said the script was ready and the film was meant to be “really wild”.
He did not describe any plans to revive the project, and the film never went ahead.
Martin Scorsese says the Sony hack helped derail his planned Cleopatra film starring Angelina Jolie.
Scorsese recalled the project on Tribeca’s Crafty series, saying it was “ruined” after the hack’s fallout.
The hack followed the 2014 release of Seth Rogen’s comedy The Interview, which portrayed a fictional assassination attempt against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The hack exposed emails, including producer Scott Rudin’s insulting comments about Jolie.
Scorsese said Jolie was set to play Cleopatra VII and that the film was going to be “really wild.”
- Who
- Martin Scorsese, with Angelina Jolie planned to star as Cleopatra VII.
- What
- Scorsese says fallout from the Sony hack helped sink his planned Cleopatra film.
- When
- The hack occurred in November 2014. Scorsese discussed the film on Crafty in 2026.
- Where
- The film was associated with Columbia, according to Scorsese.
- Why
- Scorsese linked the cancellation to the fallout after The Interview mocked Kim Jong Un. The hack also exposed emails that included an insulting comment about Jolie.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A group hacked Sony emails after the company released The Interview.
Deadline reported Scorsese’s recollection that the hack’s fallout ruined his planned Cleopatra film.
Variety reported Scorsese’s comments about the planned film and its cancellation.
- Planned lead
- Angelina Jolie
- Planned role
- Cleopatra VII
- Sony hack
- November 2014
- Film’s scriptwriter
- Eric Roth
- Scorsese’s source
- Tribeca’s Crafty series
2 sources
What people are saying
Seth Rogen, right? And then he got mad, and [it] ruined Cleopatra.
We were gonna do it. We were ready on the script. Angelina Jolie—We were going. She was gonna be Cleopatra VII. It was gonna be really wild.
Well, tell Seth, because they ruined everything. Just because Kim Jong Un doesn’t have a sense of humor.