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This reimagining was explicitly acknowledged by the series' creators, including Jada Pinkett Smith, who explained that there is a lack of representation of Black queens in mainstream history. She stated, “We wanted to tell stories that are recognizable Black queens,” even admitting that the series is a fictionalized take rather than a documentary.

Public Reaction and Backlash

The response from audiences and critics has been overwhelmingly negative. The Queen Cleopatra trailer received nearly 400,000 dislikes compared to just 30,000 likes on YouTube. Comments were turned off, and so far, Rotten Tomatoes has not published audience ratings, though critics' and viewers' reactions are anticipated to be equally negative.