Lawyer Sues Netflix For Casting ‘Black Woman’ As Queen Cleopatra

New Delhi: The casting of ‘Queen Cleopatra’, an upcoming docu-drama of Netflix, has sparked an uproar in Egypt.

‘Queen Cleopatra’, which is scheduled to start streaming on the OTT platform from May 10, has Adele James – a British actress of mixed heritage — playing the lead role.

Egyptian academics have pointed out that Cleopatra, who was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 69 BCE and belonged to a Greek-speaking dynasty, was of European descent and not black, reported Variety.

An Egyptian lawyer has sued Netflix demanding that the streaming platform be banned in Egypt.

In his petition, Mahmoud al-Semary has claimed that the docu-drama violates the country’s media laws.

The lawyer has mentioned that the OTT platform is misappropriating Egyptian history by distorting and favouring the promotion of Afrocentricism.

“Most of what the Netflix platform displays do not conform to Islamic and societal values and principles, especially Egyptian ones. In order to preserve the Egyptian national and cultural identity among Egyptians all over the world, there must be pride in the makings of such work,” he stated.

Adele tweeted 10 days ago that her Netflix debut is the “greatest honour” of her career and she can’t wait for you to see it.

Apart from Adele, ‘Queen Cleopatra’ stars Jada Pinkett Smith and Craig Russell.

According to the official synopsis of the documentary, “As Egypt’s last pharaoh, Cleopatra fights to protect her throne, family and legacy in this docu-drama featuring reenactments and expert interviews.”