Sun Media talked to screenwriter Chris Hauty (Never Back Down), who is polishing a script by Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) called The Last Pharaoh, which is at Will Smith's Overbrook Entertaiment production company.
The film centers on Taharqa, who was king of Egypt (from 690 BC to 664 BC) and a member of the Nubian or 25th dynasty of Egypt. He was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt, and the younger brother and successor of Shebitku. The story is about Ethiopians battling Assyrians for the throne of Amun-Ra.
"It's an open writing assignment from Will's company. It's something he's taken a big interest in," Hauty said.
The actual "last Pharaoh" was Cleopatra VII, of course.
quote:The actual "last Pharaoh" was Cleopatra VII, of course.
No, the actual last real Egyptian Pharao was Nectanabo II, 30th dynasty. Just after native Egyptians kicked out the Persians. Cleopatra was loyal to the hellens, she just learned the native language, that's it. She belonged to a lineage of occupiers. If Cleopatra was the last pharao then we might as well expand it to include Victoria of England or why not Nasser or Sadat as the last Pharao maybe even current dictator Mubarak, you have to draw a line somewhere.
sportbilly Member # 14122
posted
I just read about that too! Awesome news! Though I gotta say I don't hbave ANY faith in either of his screenwriters. John Logan (Gladiator) or Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List) would have been my choices. Guess we'll have to see. But isn't it great that he's not some high-yellow heifer like Halle Berry? Having her protrayed a black is always a slap to the face.
And I LOVE that name The Last Pharaoh. It cleverly makes the point that the Nubians and Egyptians wre one in the same, both were part of a shared heritage and legacy. Guess Cecil B Demille and Stephen Sommers couldn't whitewash history after all.
The story is worthy. The Africans battling the Asiatics. 10,000 BC did the same thing, but had the blacks needing some white caveman to lead them. For Roland Emmerich that was the only way black dominance in the ancient world could be palatable. Will Smith has now given an intelligent response to this--don't beg white studio execs to portray blacks truthfully, do it yourself! A shame that Tyler Perry, Oprah, Robert Johnson etc haven't seen fit to do the same. The best part is Will Smith's undeniably BLACK! There's no way to watch him and think, "Well, at least he's got a white mother, so we can pretend he's not THAT black." Bringing people back to the truth will have to be done in stages, and this movie would be a greatfirst step. No one denies the Nubians were black (at least no one denies it anymore) and this film moves blackness closer to Egypt. The question is not how will the Nubians be portrayed, it's how will the Egyptians be portrayed? Probably "lightly toasted." Well, this is a first step after all, we're patient.
What really excites me we've all said that the movies is where we can restore the truth of black Egypt, and now it's gaining credence. I'm not going to break out the balloons and confetti yet, but the fact that these projects are even in negotiations is a big deal.
Oh, and Tigerlily, I HATE to say this, but Yonis 2 is right (in part, and most likely in spite of himself) Cleopatra was NOT a pharaoh, not in name or in fact. But Nectanebo wasn't either. He was the part of the first wave of Asiatic invaders who destroyed the empire.
King_Scorpion Member # 4818
posted
quote:Originally posted by Tigerlily: Will Smith, The Last Pharaoh?
Source: Sun Media March 23, 2008
Sun Media talked to screenwriter Chris Hauty (Never Back Down), who is polishing a script by Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) called The Last Pharaoh, which is at Will Smith's Overbrook Entertaiment production company.
The film centers on Taharqa, who was king of Egypt (from 690 BC to 664 BC) and a member of the Nubian or 25th dynasty of Egypt. He was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt, and the younger brother and successor of Shebitku. The story is about Ethiopians battling Assyrians for the throne of Amun-Ra.
"It's an open writing assignment from Will's company. It's something he's taken a big interest in," Hauty said.
The actual "last Pharaoh" was Cleopatra VII, of course.
posted
Excellent news my friend! I'll be sure to stay updated.
Yonis2 Member # 11348
posted
quote:Sportbilly erote: But Nectanebo wasn't either. He was the part of the first wave of Asiatic invaders who destroyed the empire.
Nectanabo II was a native Egyptian, so was his grandfather Nectanabo I, he was the last native Pharao of Egypt regardless of his military association with the Greeks. If the 30th dynasty was Asiatic derived then the same could be said about the 19th Ramses family dynasty.
kenndo Member # 4846
posted
The last ruler of the 25th dynasty was taharqa's nephew,tanutamon.HE was a great leader too and he would have to be in this movie.
there were later rulers in egypt that rebelled during the greek macedonian period and they were nubian and they were supported by kush and in even in roman times along with egyptians as well and they too were supported by kush.
astenb Member # 14524
posted
meh, they could have chose an actore that would have fit the part better. With out even thinking about it i could say Malik Yoba would be better.
Myra Wysinger Member # 10126
posted
quote:Originally posted by kenndo: The last ruler of the 25th dynasty was Taharqa's nephew, Tanutamon. He was a great leader too and he would have to be in this movie.
True
Once the Assyrians had appointed Necho I as king and left Egypt, Tanutamon marched down the Nile from Nubia and reoccupied all of Egypt including Memphis. Necho I, the Assyrians' representative, was killed in Tanutamon's campaign. He became King of Egypt for 7 years.
.
Myra Wysinger Member # 10126
posted The Rise of Taharqa: Ruler of Nubia and Egypt Source: Calliope Publication Date: 10/01/2003
Author: Frank Yurco, Egyptologist
How did Taharqa envision his kingship? Was he content to rule just Nubia and Egypt? Or, did he plan to extend his rule even farther north? For the answers, historians often turn to time media records of the time: inscriptions.
The earliest surviving written evidence of Taharqa's existence dates to 701 B.C., when he was still a prince. The Nubian ruler Shebitqo had summoned him north from Nubia to lead a march against the Assyrians encamped at Jerusalem. Earlier in the 701 B.C. campaign led by the Assyrian ruler Sennacherib against Hezekiah, the king at Judaea, the Nubians and Egyptians had suffered defeat at El-Tekeh. Scholars are divided on Taharqa's role in ending Sennacherib's campaign.
However, in the Book of Isaiah in the Bible, Hezekiah learns that Taharqa is coming with an army. The biblical reference also refers to an angel coming down and slaying the 5,000 Assyrians besieging Jerusalem.
Surviving historical accounts of the period explain the event in more specific detail. Before the siege, Hezekiah had blocked all the waterholes outside Jerusalem in order to wall off the city from the enemy mid close all entryways. He then had the Siloam Tunnel dug to bring water directly into Jerusalem.
Sennacherib, meanwhile, concentrated his efforts on capturing Lachish. After a prolonged siege, he did so and then subdued other city-states in the region. By the time his 5,000 men had advanced on Jerusalem, it was mid-summer. Without water, many Assyrians fell ill. The illness then quickly spread among the soldiers encamped all around the city. Sennacherib knew he had to act: The illness affecting his men was spreading, and it was clear that his troops were vulnerable to enemy attack since they were not encamped in one location. Worse, he had reports that said Taharqa was advancing north.
Existing evidence suggests that the campaign ended quickly. It also suggests that Hezekiah, the chief conspirator against the Assyrians, continued as ruler of Judaea. In some documents, reference is made to his dying at a later date in his own bed. Seals from papyrus documents uncovered at Nineveh, Sennacherib's capital, provide evidence at an agreement between Sennacherib and Shebitqo.
The Nubians, for their part, had no interest in controlling the Levant--the lands bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Rather, their main interest was in establishing and maintaining trade relations. The fact that documents tell of these trade privileges ending in 679 B.C., when Sennacherib's successor Esarhaddon took control of Assyria, proves that such trading ventures did indeed exist under Sennacherib.
By 690 B.C., the stage was set. Taharqa sat on the throne of Nubia and of Egypt. When Esarhaddon led his Assyrians south into Egypt in 674 B.C., Taharqa was ready not only to defend his kingdom but also to pursue the invading enemy.
Frank Yurco (1944-2004) was an Egyptologist, with an interest in the Rameside Period and in the Kushite Period with its involvement with Israel and the subsequent Assyrian involvement with Egypt under Taharqo.
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sportbilly Member # 14122
posted
Great story Myra! I can see a lot of people having to do some growing up when this film gets under way.
And no, I don't think it a coincidence at all that this announcement comes on the heels of the National Geographic "Black Pharaoh's" issue.
Our resident scholars (namely Myra, Al Takuri, Doug, Rasol, Djehuti and of course Dr Wally, among other) can pat themselves on the back for the part they no doubt played in all this. Though I imagine they're probably too humble to do so
Myra Wysinger Member # 10126
posted
quote:Originally posted by sportbilly: Our resident scholars (namely Myra, Al Takuri, Doug, Rasol, Djehuti and of course Dr Wally, among other) can pat themselves on the back for the part they no doubt played in all this.
Though I imagine they're probably too humble to do so
posted
Not only am I humble, but I realize that I have done nothing compared to the efforts of the great African scholars like Diop, Clarke, Rashidi and others....
sportbilly Member # 14122
posted
Don't sell yourself short, Doug. Dr Diop said he himself was inspired by the works of those before him. Each generation's efforts builds on the one before. When the boxer Ruben "Hurricane" Carter was imprisoned he called the massive, star-studded protests that took place on his behalf, (and the violent reprisals that came from his enemies) his "Noisy Revolution." But as interest faded and people moved on he called the continuing efforts his "Quiet Revolution." And as anyone familiar with the story knows, it was during Carter's quiet revolution that he was freed and vindicated.
The noisy revolution of Drs Diop, Van Sertima and Chancellor Williams, marked by the long, loud and vicious offensives of people like Dr Leftkowitz is behind us. Now we're seeing the quiet one, fought through a steady but persistent, never-ending push forward. Dr Diop did something more important than simply stand up to the lie of white-Egypt, he started a dialgoue. The "resident scholars" on this board are continuing his legacy. No, this revolution will not be televised, it will be live--WE'RE GOING TO LIVE IT!
The good folks of this forum are certainly part of that. Keep up the great work all.
Jo Nongowa Member # 14918
posted
^ With respect, and deepest appreciation, I'll second that.
Wolofi Member # 14892
posted
quote:Originally posted by Tigerlily: Will Smith, The Last Pharaoh?
Source: Sun Media March 23, 2008
Sun Media talked to screenwriter Chris Hauty (Never Back Down), who is polishing a script by Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) called The Last Pharaoh, which is at Will Smith's Overbrook Entertaiment production company.
The film centers on Taharqa, who was king of Egypt (from 690 BC to 664 BC) and a member of the Nubian or 25th dynasty of Egypt. He was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt, and the younger brother and successor of Shebitku. The story is about Ethiopians battling Assyrians for the throne of Amun-Ra.
"It's an open writing assignment from Will's company. It's something he's taken a big interest in," Hauty said.
The actual "last Pharaoh" was Cleopatra VII, of course.
Not good. Why would they get the lightest skinned socially black actor [Will Smith] to play probably one of the blackest of Pharoahs in Ancient Egypt hmmmm. I smell propaganda.
xyyman Member # 13597
posted
Paranoia??
Could it be because he is a big draw!!!??? (ie $$$)
quote:Originally posted by Wolofi:
quote:Originally posted by Tigerlily: Will Smith, The Last Pharaoh?
Source: Sun Media March 23, 2008
Sun Media talked to screenwriter Chris Hauty (Never Back Down), who is polishing a script by Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) called The Last Pharaoh, which is at Will Smith's Overbrook Entertaiment production company.
The film centers on Taharqa, who was king of Egypt (from 690 BC to 664 BC) and a member of the Nubian or 25th dynasty of Egypt. He was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt, and the younger brother and successor of Shebitku. The story is about Ethiopians battling Assyrians for the throne of Amun-Ra.
"It's an open writing assignment from Will's company. It's something he's taken a big interest in," Hauty said.
The actual "last Pharaoh" was Cleopatra VII, of course.
Not good. Why would they get the lightest skinned socially black actor [Will Smith] to play probably one of the blackest of Pharoahs in Ancient Egypt hmmmm. I smell propaganda.
xyyman Member # 13597
posted
Maybe some of the "experts" on the site should write to Will and volunteer their knowledge. Sort of the guy on the set who ensures that things are "accurate/realistic"
kenndo Member # 4846
posted
I AGREE.
kenndo Member # 4846
posted
quote:: i would like to see a movie or series on piye,and meroe and christian nubia with those great cities and armies.
Doug M Member # 7650
posted
quote:Originally posted by Wolofi:
quote:Originally posted by Tigerlily: Will Smith, The Last Pharaoh?
Source: Sun Media March 23, 2008
Sun Media talked to screenwriter Chris Hauty (Never Back Down), who is polishing a script by Carl Franklin (Devil in a Blue Dress) called The Last Pharaoh, which is at Will Smith's Overbrook Entertaiment production company.
The film centers on Taharqa, who was king of Egypt (from 690 BC to 664 BC) and a member of the Nubian or 25th dynasty of Egypt. He was the son of Piye, the Nubian king of Napata who had first conquered Egypt, and the younger brother and successor of Shebitku. The story is about Ethiopians battling Assyrians for the throne of Amun-Ra.
"It's an open writing assignment from Will's company. It's something he's taken a big interest in," Hauty said.
The actual "last Pharaoh" was Cleopatra VII, of course.
Not good. Why would they get the lightest skinned socially black actor [Will Smith] to play probably one of the blackest of Pharoahs in Ancient Egypt hmmmm. I smell propaganda.
Nobody said will was going to play the Kushite pharaoh. They said his PRODUCTION COMPANY is doing the writing for the movie. It is far too early to even talk about casting.
argyle104 Member # 14634
posted
Doug M wrote:
quote: Nobody said will was going to play the Kushite pharaoh. They said his PRODUCTION COMPANY is doing the writing for the movie. It is far too early to even talk about casting.
LOL! Its funny that someone has to even tell the intellectual lightweights that.
posted 
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