Image credit: Instagram / adele_jjames
Doha: Netflix, the global streaming giant, found itself embroiled in controversy once again as it faces a wave of backlash from Egyptian audiences over its upcoming series, "Queen Cleopatra."
The historical docudrama, set to depict the life and reign of the iconic Egyptian queen, has ignited a firestorm of criticism and outrage within the country.
Egyptians from all walks of life have expressed their concerns regarding the representation of their cultural heritage and the accuracy of the portrayal.
The Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs Zahi Hawass stated to the Egyptian media, "Cleopatra was a Ptolemaic and Macedonian lineage, not blonde, and had a wine-like complexion. The goal of the documentary film, as stated, is to assert that the Egyptian civilization was black. However, it relies on historical distortions and false information, failing to provide a single piece of evidence that the queen had dark skin.”
Hawass added that he was "not against black people, but opposes the attempt to appropriate the Egyptian civilization and claim it was African. “
“The existing images on the walls of temples confirm that the kings were not black and did not have dark skin. Cleopatra, being Macedonian, has no relation to black people whatsoever. All statues depict her with Hellenistic Greek features, such as fair skin, a prominent nose, and thin lips. Moreover, historians who recorded the events of Roman history in Egypt during Cleopatra's reign affirmed that she had fair skin and purely Macedonian origins,” Hawass said.
He affirmed, “It is further asserted that studies in biological anthropology and DNA analysis conducted on ancient Egyptian mummies and human remains have confirmed that Egyptians do not possess sub-Saharan African features, such as skull shape, cheekbone width, nose shape, or jaw prominence.”
In response to the uproar, a group of lawyers has initiated a lawsuit against Netflix, citing the misrepresentation of Egyptian history and calling for the series to be halted or revised, they filed the case with the public prosecutor earlier this week, demanding that the state block access to Netflix, according to media reports.
The backlash has already created a tangible impact, with "Queen Cleopatra" receiving an unprecedented level of negative attention and enormous public outcry.
The series witnessed a significant decline in anticipated viewership, a Forbes report revealed.
“It has not just the lowest audience score in Netflix history, it has essentially the lowest audience score possible on Rotten Tomatoes ( 2%).
