Netflix has been accused by the Egyptian authorities of misrepresenting its history when it cast a Black woman as Cleopatra in a new Netflix series. Cleopatra is Netflix's most famous historical character.

Adele James is cast in the lead role of "Queen Cleopatra," a film that is scheduled to be released on May 10. The streaming giant claims this is "a nod towards the centuries-long discussion about the ruler's races," but officials in Cairo dismissed it as a "blatant historical lie."

Jada Pinkett Smith, the producer of the film, said that she wanted to tell this story because we don't hear or see stories about black queens very often.

The trailer released two weeks earlier claimed that Cleopatra had 'curly' hair and was therefore black. This claim has angered Egyptians, who have slapped it down.

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities claimed that due to the documentary nature of this film, "those in charge of production must ensure accuracy and rely upon historical and scientific facts."

Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Archeology, said the appearance of Cleopatra in the upcoming series was 'a falsification of Egyptian history and a blatant historical misconception'

Dr. Waziri said: 'The film is classified as a documentary and not a drama, the order that the owners of its industry have to investigate accuracy and refer to historical and scientific facts in order to ensure that the history and civilizations of peoples is not falsified.

He added archaeologists and anthropologists should have been referred to when making the series.

Alongside their lengthy statement, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities attached images of artifacts and coins with Cleopatra's depiction on them.

They said they did this to show off her 'Hellenic (greek) features, in terms of light complexion, drawn nose, and fluffy lips.'

Dr. Waziri said the state of rejection that the film witnessed before its screening comes from defending the history of Queen Cleopatra, which is an important and authentic part of ancient Egyptian history.

Dr. Nasser Mekkawy, Head of the Egyptian Department of Archeology at Cairo University added that Cleopatra's appearance would have been light-skinned due to her Macedonian origins.

He said that Cleopatra descended from an ancient Macedonian dynasty that ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years.

The Ministry also said that anthropology studies and DNA studies conducted on mummies and bones confirmed that Egyptians do not bear the features of South-Saharan Africans.

An Egyptian lawyer filed a case with the country's public prosecutor demanding Netflix be shut down.