Sony Pictures has called this film their Gone with the Wind (1939) project as it's being held in the highest regard. They call it this because of the film's potential sheer scope in scale of its story and setting. Sony has compared the project to Gone with the Wind (1939) and Titanic (1997). Hence, for originally wanting James Cameron to helm in its early development stage.
Ang Lee was attached to direct this film for a couple of years but the project never got out of "development hell" for various reasons. Lee officially dropped out in 2015 to do other film projects.
This film version shouldn't be mistaken for the film being produced by Paramount Pictures with director Patty Jenkins and leading actress Gal Gadot as Cleopatra. This particular film version from Sony Pictures is based on the historical biography, "Cleopatra: A Life" by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Stacy Schiff, while Paramount's film is co-producer Gal Gadot's interpretation of Cleopatra's life.
Angelina Jolie was attached to the project to play Cleopatra for close to a decade. But with the project not being able to get out of "development hell" for a number of reasons since then and Jolie getting older, she became detached from the project in late 2018/early 2019.
Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney were all at one point mentioned for the lead male role.