The negative comments both director Alex Proyas and Lionsgate have received over the trailer for the upcoming film Gods Of Egypt, have led to them releasing an apologetic statement.
The two are conceding that the company “failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity”.
Gods Of Egypt follows a mortal named Bek (Brenton Thwaites) who finds himself forced to align with Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) when the god Set (Gerard Butler) assumes control of Egypt. Their battle spans Earth, the heavens and the afterlife.
Selma director Ava DuVernay took to Twitter to comment, sparking a social media debate.
Even though it is difficult to define precisely what ancient Egyptians looked like, based on years of research and DNA tests it is safe to say that they looked nothing like Anglo-Saxon Hollywood stars.
Fans also argued that the film touched more on ancient Greece and European Gods that on Egyptian culture, slamming director Alex Proyas’ take on the story.

Deadline’s Ross A. Lincoln wrote that “based on the statuary and monuments that have survived, not to mention thousands of years of other cultures commenting on them, [ancient Egyptians] definitely weren’t white people with flowing, curly blond locks, and their gods were definitely not Europeans. To me, casting here stands out like a sore thumb leftover from 1950s Hollywood”.
In the joint statements, Lionsgate responded to criticism by saying: “We recognise 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 apologise. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.​​”
“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 apologise to those who are offended by the decisions we made,” Proyas’ statement read.
Lincoln and other journalists have noted that the film’s trailer recalls the similar controversy that met Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods And Kings last year.