Following the release of the "Gods of Egypt" trailer two weeks ago, its filmmakers released an apology for the choice of casting for the upcoming movie.
Lionsgate and "Gods of Egypt" director Alex Proyas' apology after being accused of whitewashing the film's cast was welcomed by "Selma" director Ava DuVernay, reported BBC. According to the film's director, there was a lack of diversity in the cast because the production was having a hard time during the casting process.
"The process of casting a movie has many complicated variables, but it is clear that our casting choices should have been more diverse," Proyas mentioned. "I sincerely apologize to those who are offended by the decisions we made."
Many commented on the obvious lack of variety in the "Gods of Egypt" cast, which has Gerard Butler of "300" and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau of "Game of Thrones" as leads. One of the critics who openly talked about the movie is singer Bette Midler, who took to Twitter to express her disappointment about the film. Midler said, "Movie, #GodsOfEgypt in which everyone is white? Egyptians, in history and today, have NEVER been white. BRING BACK GEOGRAPHY!! It's Africa!"
The tweet garnered more than a thousand likes and retweets. Many supported the 69-year-old singer's stance but there are also those who defended the "Gods of Egypt" production's decision of choosing predominantly white actors for the movie.
According to some Egyptians, their race isn't exactly dark-skinned and even some pointed out that history has proven that the thriving dynasties in ancient Egypt came from Western European lineages, which could mean that Egyptians are actually fair-skinned.
Regardless of this controversy, "Gods of Egypt" is still pushing through with a February 2016 release date. Other Caucasian actors playing roles in the film include Brenton Thwaites of "Maleficent," Geoffrey Rush of "Elizabeth," and Courtney Eaton of "Mad Max: Fury Road."
