# Martin Scorsese Says Cleopatra Project With Angelina Jolie Was Ruined by Seth Rogen and Sony Hack

> Martin Scorsese claims his planned Cleopatra film starring Angelina Jolie was canceled after the 2014 Sony hack linked to Seth Rogen's The Interview.

- Publisher: Briefzora (https://briefzora.com)
- URL: https://briefzora.com/martin-scorsese-says-cleopatra-project-with-angelina-jolie-was-ruined-by-seth-rogen-and-sony-hack
- Published: 2026-10-31T05:16:05+05:00
- Author: Briefzora Desk (https://briefzora.com/author/briefzora-desk)
- Section: Technology
- Topics: Angelina Jolie, Cleopatra, Martin Scorsese, Seth Rogen
- Image: https://briefzora.com/uploads/2026/10/martin-scorsese-says-his-cleopatra-movie-with-angelina-jolie-was-ru-6tz2wa.webp

## Key points

- Martin Scorsese says his Cleopatra film with Angelina Jolie was canceled after the 2014 Sony hack.
- The hack targeted Sony emails to stop Seth Rogen's comedy The Interview from being released.
- Scorsese mentioned the incident in the first episode of Tribeca's series Crafty.
- Emails leaked included producer Scott Rudin calling Jolie "a minimally talented spoiled brat."
- Screenwriter Eric Roth, who wrote Killers of the Flower Moon, was set to write the Cleopatra script.

## Why it matters

The cancellation affects the film industry by showing how a cyber-attack on a studio can derail major projects and alter careers.

## Article

Martin Scorsese revealed that his planned Cleopatra film starring Angelina Jolie never materialized because of the 2014 Sony hack involving Seth Rogen.

The hack occurred in November 2014 when a group targeted Sony emails to prevent release of Rogen's comedy The Interview, which depicted a fictional plot against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Scorsese discussed the incident in the first episode of the Tribeca original series Crafty, saying the hack's aftereffects disrupted the Cleopatra project.

"We were gonna do Cleopatra at one point, and then they made fun of [Kim Jong Un], and he got mad and blew up everybody at Columbia," Scorsese said. "Seth Rogen, right? And then he got mad, and [it] ruined Cleopatra."

While Rogen was not directly responsible for canceling the film, the breach exposed thousands of emails, including messages from producer Scott Rudin to Sony executive Amy Pascal that described Jolie as "a minimally talented spoiled brat."

Scorsese added, "We were gonna do it. Angelina Jolie. We were going. She was gonna be Cleopatra VII. It was gonna be really wild."

The screenplay was to be written by Eric Roth, who also penned Scorsese's 2023 movie Killers of the Flower Moon.

Watch the episode of Crafty below.

[Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fn_Pa2BFgpM?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent)

## Frequently asked questions

### Why was the Cleopatra movie with Angelina Jolie canceled?

Scorsese says the 2014 Sony hack linked to Seth Rogen's The Interview caused aftereffects that led to the project being scrapped.

### Who was set to write the Cleopatra screenplay?

Screenwriter Eric Roth, who also wrote Killers of the Flower Moon, was attached to the Cleopatra script.


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