Angelina Jolie has a hit on her hands — Maleficent marks her biggest box-office debut ever — but she's already thinking retirement.

Certain dead people have the dubious honor of being resuscitated over and over again for entertainment purposes: Marilyn Monroe, Jesus, Lincoln. And Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Her tale has been told by luminaries like Shakespeare and Liz Taylor, and now there's a four-hour miniseries in the works.

On this day 2,043 years ago, the world's sexiest power couple — Mark Antony and Cleopatra, obviously — lost the Battle of Actium to some eightfold asshole.

According to Deadline, NBC has outbid two other networks for a period drama called Cleopatra, which is about Cleopatra, who was an Egyptian famous for having a high school quartback/cheerleading captain relationship with Mark Antony. Of course, anyone who knows their ancient world history is familiar with the…

This morning brought the news of Elizabeth Taylor's death. While her personal life is certainly compelling, it's her career in front of the camera that made her a star. A best-of list could go on and on — from the broken seductress of Suddenly Last Summer, to the comedy Father of the Bride, to the irresistible ingenue…

Kim Kardashian is the March coverlady on Harper's Bazaar, and inside, she plays the Queen Of Denial The Nile in photographs by (who else?) Terry Richardson. She also talks about her body, since that is one of her strongest talents. Quoth Kim: "I'm on a diet… I need to be. I love to eat-Kit Kats or cookies-and-cream…

Another book about Cleopatra is comin' atcha this holiday season. I get that Cleopatra was interesting and triple extra sexy and all that, but I wish there was more out there about the real Egyptian Queen of Badassery, Hatshepsut.

New looks at Cleopatra tell us that the more things change, the more they are the same. In a bad way.

We recently looked at some reasons that Angelina Jolie might not be the best choice to play Cleopatra in a new major motion picture. But what does noted Egyptologist Dr. Sally-Ann Ashton think?

The news that Angelina Jolie has been cast to play Cleopatra in a film by Oscar-winning producer Scott Rudin induces mixed reactions.

According to Plutarch, Cleopatra's beauty was "not of the incomparable kind that would astonish everyone who saw her...but her conversation was irresistibly fascinating, and her character utterly mesmerizing." [The Smart Set]

Archeologists believe that they've discovered the missing piece to explain the mystery of Antony and Cleopatra's final hours together. The giant granite mausoleum, found underwater off the coast of Alexandria, was most likely the setting for their tragic goodbyes. [Guardian]

Archaeologists claim that they have found the skeletal remains of Princess Arsinöe , who was put to death by her sister, Cleopatra, in 41 BC. The remains have also shed new light on Cleopatra's ethnic background.

Shockingly, Cleopatra did not, in fact, resemble a Hollywood actress. Cambridge's Sally Ann Ashton has put together a portrait of the Queen based on the image on an ancient coin and her probable ethnic makeup.

Cleopatra taught me there was sex in history. Before the sixth grade, I pretty much thought it was invented in 1987 (sorry Philip Larkin), to produce my brother (I was immaculately conceived). Then came Egyptian history, and I found out that a first-century queen could have lovers, and her lovers could have lovers…