FACEOFF: Is Thandie Newton or Liz Taylor a Hotter Cleopatra?

By Tim Nudd

Tuesday April 13, 2010 09:15 AM EDT

Elizabeth Taylor 1963 (left) and Thandie Newton 2010 as Cleopatra

Everett; Virgin Media

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It takes guts – and some serious good looks – to portray Cleopatra, the most beautiful woman in history. But Thandie Newton is up for a challenge, and the sexy new photos of her as the Egyptian queen are giving Elizabeth Taylor a run for her money.

Newton, 37, appears as Cleopatra in a series of striking black-and-white shots that have the British press buzzing – she "smolders," says the Daily Mail – and invite comparisons to Taylor's classic 1963 portrayal, which set the standard.

Alas, Newton isn't doing a Cleopatra movie – the photos are merely promotional materials for a film competition called Virgin Media Shorts. (Ms. Taylor is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief.) Still, we have to ask:

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Thandie Newton as Cleopatra

Virgin Media