Back in 2014, Sony found itself amidst a devastating hacking attack, leading to the leak of a boatload of confidential data from Sony Pictures Entertainment. This involved an appalling exchange between producer Scott Rudin and the former Sony studio head Amy Pascal, in which the former had some less-than-thrilling words about Angelina Jolie.
But despite being at the end of the insults in the exchange, she was unshaken by the producer’s comments, who claimed the actress was a minimally talented spoiled brat.
Angelina Jolie Doesn’t Let Personal Attacks Get Under Her Skin
Back in 2011, Angelina Jolie was attached to Brian Helgeland’s canceled Cleopatra movie, which was initially set to be directed by David Fincher. However, per the leaked email exchange between Amy Pascal and Rudin, the latter was hellbent on getting Fincher onboard for his Steve Jobs biopic. Rudin also pressured the former Sony head to shelve Cleopatra and referred to the Original Sin star as “a minimally talented spoiled brat” for allegedly pulling the director away from his movie.
When asked about her response to Rudin’s antagonistic response during the promotion of By the Sea, Jolie shared she was untouched by it. While the actress didn’t read the content of the leaked emails herself, someone did unload it to her, and considering she is used to personal attacks, it barely impacted her.
There are certain things that bother me and certain things that don’t. Personal attacks on me? I think I’m just so used to it.
Moreover, as opposed to Rudin’s claim about Jolie potentially putting pressure on Fincher to stick to Cleopatra, Fincher clarified that he hadn’t signed a contract for either of them.
Brian Helgeland Disclosed Elements From His Draft for the canned Cleopatra
While Sony did pull the plug off Scott Rudin’s Steve Jobs biopic, which later found its home at Universal and was directed by Danny Boyle, Cleopatra on the other hand faced an unfortunate end. Oscar winner Brian Helgeland, who penned the first draft for the canned Jolie film, recalled that it had elements of a political thriller, which he described as an “epic that’s divided between her love affairs with Caesar and Marc Antony”.
As for the historical side of things, the screenwriter recalled being taken aback by a lot of true events, which featured in his draft for the script.
Lots of true events surprised me when I was writing it. For example, the day Caesar was assassinated — the Ides of March and all that stuff — she was in Rome. They were leaving for Egypt, and the reason why they had to kill him at that time was because he was headed out of town with her. That’s historically true and featured in the script.
With Denis Villeneuve currently involved in the development of his own Cleopatra adaptation, Helgeland clarified that he has nothing to do with this one unless they call him to use his draft.
