The Falcon and the Winter Soldier director Kari Skogland will now be helming Paramount's Cleopatra remake starring Gal Gadot.

Patty Jenkins has relinquished directing duties for "Cleopatra", a historical drama featuring Gadot as the legendary queen of Egypt. Kari Skogland, who recently directed Marvel’s TV series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier", is taking over filmmaking duties.

Cleopatra was pitched by Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot last year to all major film studios. She brought in writer Laeta Kalogridis (Alita: Battle Angel, Shutter Island) to pen the screenplay and reteamed with director Patty Jenkins. Eventually, Paramount bagged the project, outbidding other interested parties - Universal, Warner Bros, Netflix, and Apple. Paramount, being impressed by Gadot’s idea, immediately greenlit Cleopatra, but due to unforeseen circumstances and Jenkins’ busy schedule, Cleopatra kept getting delayed. Finally, Jenkins resigned as the director, and Kari Skogland will now be bringing the famous Egyptian queen to the big screen.

Jenkins isn’t departing the project entirely. She will remain involved in a producing role as she pivots attention to her next two projects, “Wonder Woman 3” for Warner Bros. and “Star Wars: Rogue Squadron” for Disney and Lucasfilm.

Paramount won the rights to the hot package last fall to the biographical drama scripted by Laeta Kalogridis. The film will be produced by Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven, Jenkins, Gadot and her Pilot Wave Motion Pictures partner Jaron Varsano. Kalogridis will be the exec producer.

Source: Press Release