The 2016-2017 TV season has seen the end of a number of great TV shows, one of which was Starz' Black Sails. While that series won't be coming back, the folks who brought Black Sails to life are collaborating once more for a brand new show that sounds just as badass as Black Sails ever was. Black Sails creators Jonathan E. Steinberg, Robert Levine, and executive producer Dan Shotz are working on a project all about the legendary Eygptian leader Cleopatra.
Cleopatra has been put into development by Amazon Studios. It will be a revisionist version of the historical figure Cleopatra. In the prospective series, the action will pick up after the leading lady was nearly killed in a coup. After surviving, she must rely on her political brilliance and inherent wit to stay alive. She'll need all of her skills if she's going to take back the Egyptian throne and restore the lost honor of her kingdom and her family.
Robert Levine is the writer of the project, according to Deadline. Levine, Jonathan Steinberg, and Don Shotz are all on board as executive producers. This collaboration marks the latest in a number of times that Cleopatra's story has been put into development for television, including a Lifetime miniseries in 2013 and an NBC drama in 2012. Neither of those projects ever made it to the small screen, but there's a good chance that Amazon's unique methods of producing pilots could mean that this version of Cleopatra will be a success. Amazon certainly has a trio of producers who know how to craft a hit series.
A lot may depend on who would star in the series. A big name starring as Cleopatra could elevate the project and increase its odds of a series order from Amazon. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility; while movie stars aren't flocking to Amazon the way that they are to Netflix, actors like Jeffrey Tambor and Titus Welliver have done quite well for themselves with Amazon originals.
We'll have to wait and see. Cleopatra has only just gone into development, so we may have to wait a while before we learn if Amazon is moving forward with the project. Given the talent behind the scenes, the historical appeal of Cleopatra, and Amazon's successes with streaming, I'd say that the odds aren't too bad that we'll get to see a new version of Cleopatra.
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