Lionsgate and Alex Proyas Respond to Backlash Against Mostly White Cast in Gods of Egypt
In mid-November we got word that Gods of Egypt will be arriving in theaters on February 26th of next year with a predominantly white cast that includes Brenton Thwaites, Gerard Butler, Geoffrey Rush, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau; and folks didn’t waste any time critiquing that choice via social media as well as in our own comments section. As DC regular Rottenjesus said, “I had no idea that so many pretty white people lived in Ancient Egypt!”
Well, now Lionsgate, the distributor, and Alex Proyas, the director, have issued a joint statement with regard to the controversy. Per Forbes:
From Alex Proyas: “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.”
From Lionsgate: “We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed. In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.”
A sign of the times or just lip service? Let us know what you think below!
From director Alexander Proyas (The Crow; Dark City; I, Robot), comes a completely original action-adventure tale from a world before time began, when gods ruled the earth.
In order to save the world and bring his true love back to life, a clever mortal thief (Brenton Thwaites, Oculus) teams up with a powerful and vengeful god (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game of Thrones”) to stop the god of darkness (Gerard Butler; Gamer, 300, Olympus Has Fallen), who hopes to destroy both this life and the afterlife. Chadwick Boseman, Elodie Yung, Courtney Eaton, and Geoffrey Rush co-star.
Don’t miss all the action and adventure with Gods of Egypt, coming to theaters February 26, 2016!
Synopsis:
In this spectacular action-adventure inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, the survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero, Bek (Thwaites), undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. In order to succeed, he must enlist the help of the powerful god Horus (Coster-Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against Set (Butler), the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens, both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the epic final confrontation.
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