This Wednesday, Netflix released a trailer of its new documentary series showcasing the life and legacy of great African women. The production, "African Queens," has already brought the story of Njinga, also known as Ana de Sousa, the queen of what is now Angola. In its latest installment, the Netflix docudrama series features the figure of Cleopatra.
Controversy soon hit social media when Twitter users discovered that the documentary will portray the Egyptian ruler as a black woman. Historians agree that Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, of Greek origin, which took power in Egypt after the conquest of the Macedonians, led by Alexander the Great.
From Executive Producer @jadapsmith comes a new docuseries exploring the lives of iconic African queens.
QUEEN CLEOPATRA follows the story of Cleopatra, one of the world’s most famous and misunderstood woman.
QUEEN CLEOPATRA is available to stream May 10 only on Netflix pic.twitter.com/0oDUSi8Add
— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) April 12, 2023
Despite this, the racial origin of Queen Cleopatra remains the subject of much debate and controversy. Many people feel that as an African queen, Cleopatra must therefore be portrayed by a black person in order to faithfully interpret her in film or documentary adaptations. This idea seems to be present in the Netflix production. In the trailer, one of the experts interviewed mentions that "my mother always told me that Cleopatra was black," which hints that this debate will be addressed in the documentary.
Jada Pinkett Smith (Magic Mike XXL, Bad Moms), is the executive producer of this documentary series. This is not the first time Netflix has ruffled feathers with such a casting decision. Back in 2018, British actor David Gyasi was cast in the role of the Greek hero Achilles, one of the great protagonists of the Iliad.
"We don’t often get to see or hear stories about Black queens, and that was really important for me, as well as for my daughter, and just for my community to be able to know those stories because there are tons of them!" executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith told Essence. The latest episodes in the docuseries will be released on May 10 on the Netflix platform and will consist of 4 chapters of about 45 minutes each.
