In what appears to be becoming a regular occurrence, whoever was responsible for casting the upcoming film Gods of Egypt seems to have skipped a few history classes. The film, directed by Alex Proyas, has caused controversy after releasing a series of posters which show a predominantly white cast playing Egyptian Gods.
While the existence of Egyptian gods could be debated, one thing is for certain: they probably were not white. One Twitter user put it perfectly:
If you need sunscreen while filming for #GodsOfEgypt it's probably not a historically accurate casting
— vimto mami (@lunarnomad) November 13, 2015
Proyas has apologized for the casting after apparently hearing of the controversy surrounding the so-called “whitewashing” of the film. He said in a statement shared with Forbes:
“The process of casting a movie has many complicated variables, but it is clear that our casting choices should have been more diverse. I sincerely apologize to those who are offended by the decisions we made.”
This is not the first time this mistake has been made. The 2014 epic Exodus: Gods and Kings came under fire for its casting of white actors to play Hebrew and Ancient Egyptian characters. The director Ridley Scott admitted that he would not get funding if he had not cast big-name actors.
“I can’t mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such," he said. "I’m just not going to get it financed.”
The Gods of Egypt posters were not the only things which appeared to show a lack of diversity. What appear to be behind-the-scenes photos of the extras have also sparked an angry response from some Twitter users.
And look at these extras. You can blue screen Egypt in the background but can't cast real Egyptians??? #GodsOfEgypt pic.twitter.com/RR8mTuK4wP
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) November 12, 2015
