Patty Jenkins Steps Back From Directing Gal Gadot’s ‘Cleopatra,’ ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s’ Kari Skogland to Take Over

Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot‘s “Wonder Woman” reunion will have to wait.

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.

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 Pictures is backing “Cleopatra,” which remains in development stages at the studio. Paramount won the rights to the project last year, reportedly beating out Apple, Universal, Warner Bros. and Netflix.

Skogland first came to attention with independent films such as “The Size of Watermelons” and “Men With Guns,” and went on to direct the 2008 crime thriller “Fifty Dead Men Walking,” 2007’s drama “The Stone Angel” starring Ellen Burstyn, and 2002’s revenge chiller “Liberty Stands Still” with Wesley Snipes. Since then she has become a prominent television director of series including “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Punisher,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Americans” and “House of Cards.”

Laeta Kalogridis (“Shutter Island”) will write the screenplay, in addition to serving as an executive producer. Plot details on the movie, centering on the woman who courted Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and served as the last ruler of Egypt’s Ptolemaic Kingdom, have not been announced. Cleopatra has been a frequent subject of Hollywood films, having been portrayed by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor in 1963 and Claudette Colbert in 1934.

Along with Jenkins, producers include Gadot, Chuck Roven and Jaron Varsano. Skogland is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.

Deadline broke the news that Skogland is replacing Jenkins.