Martin Scorsese Says His Angelina Jolie ‘Cleopatra’ Movie Was ‘Ruined’ by Sony Hack

Martin Scorsese disclosed this week that a planned "Cleopatra" film starring Angelina Jolie was ultimately canceled due to the 2014 Sony hack orchestrated by North Korea, humorously stating, "Just because Kim Jong Un didn't have a sense of humor." During an interview with his daughter Francesca, Scorsese emphasized his long-standing desire to direct a "big Roman epic."

He quipped, "I missed it. Ridley [Scott] has done [them] all." However, the cancellation of "Cleopatra" was directly linked to the Sony hack, in which North Korean hackers leaked confidential Sony data in retaliation for the studio's decision to release "The Interview," a film satirizing the North Korean regime. Scorsese recounted, "Kim Jong Un got mad and he blew up everybody at Columbia," attributing the demise of the film to the hack.

He added that Angelina Jolie, who was to play Cleopatra VII, was disappointed, stating, "We were going. She was Cleopatra VII. It was going to be really wild." When his daughter expressed her anger over the movie's cancellation, Scorsese jokingly remarked, "Well, tell Seth, because they ruined everything. Just because Kim Jong Un didn't have a sense of humor, you know?"

The Sony hack had previously been known to be of interest to Hollywood, with other directors like David Fincher, James Cameron, Paul Greengrass, and Ang Lee all linked to the project in various capacities. However, Scorsese's involvement in the project was newly revealed. After the Sony hack, the studio engaged in a "Cleopatra" rewrite by David Scarpa in 2016, and director Denis Villeneuve was reportedly in talks to helm the film in 2017.

However, Villeneuve's current commitments to "Dune: Part Three" and the upcoming James Bond film make it unlikely for him to return to the project in the near future.