Scorsese Says Sony Hack Ruined His Angelina Jolie “Cleopatra” Film

Director Martin Scorsese says a "Cleopatra" movie he planned to make with Angelina Jolie fell apart because of the 2014 Sony hack. He joked that it happened "just because Kim Jong Un didn't have a sense of humor." 

Scorsese said the script was ready and that Jolie was going to play Cleopatra VII. He tied the collapse to the fallout from the hack, which came after Sony planned to release Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's satirical film "The Interview" about the North Korean government. Reports describe his remarks as a joke at Rogen's expense. 

The studio hired David Scarpa to rewrite the script in 2016, and director Denis Villeneuve was reportedly in talks in 2017. The film never got made. Jolie was reportedly eager to work with Scorsese.

After meeting Pope Francis in 2023, Scorsese announced he wanted to make a film about Jesus. It is based on Shūsaku Endō's book "A Life of Jesus," and he co-wrote the screenplay with Kent Jones. He has said he wants it to run about 80 minutes. Endō's work also inspired his 2016 film "Silence." I couldn't find a confirmed release date for the Jesus film.