Netflix being sued for $2 billion by Egyptians for ‘distorting the image’ of Cleopatra in new doc

Netflix is being sued for $2 billion by Egyptians for ‘distorting the image’ of Cleopatra in its new docudrama.

In April 2023, it was reported that lawyer Mahmoud a-Semary filed a case against Netflix via the Public Prosecutor over its portrayal of Cleopatra in its new series. The decision to take legal action against Netflix was due to the casting of a Black actress as the historical figure and was labelled as a “crime”.

This is despite Cleopatra not being of Egyptian origin and instead, historical records state that she comes from a line of Macedonian Greek heritage. More so, the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled over the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt for over three centuries.

Take a look at the trailer for Queen Cleopatra below.

“Most of what Netflix platform displays do not conform to Islamic and societal values and principles, especially Egyptian ones,” read a statement detailing the grievances (via Egypt Independent). “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.”

However, in the latest development of this story, as reported by our friends at UNILAD (via Egypt Independent), a team of jurists and archaeologists have submitted a letter to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) and are seeking $2 billion in compensation.

I’m no legal expert, but it does seem like a very far-fetched scenario that Netflix would have to cough up $2 billion in compensation because some people disagree with a casting choice on a streaming platform. That being said, we’ll no doubt hear more on this progressing story in the weeks and months to come.

In related news, following the launch of Queen Cleopatra on Netflix, it garnered a woeful score of just 2% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes. Though at the time of writing this article, that score has increased to 3%.