Gods of Egypt faced heavy backlash ahead of its theatrical release. Directed by Alex Proyas, the 2016 historical fantasy epic received a great deal of attention, due in large part to its ensemble cast. However, that didn’t lead to it becoming a smash hit at the box office or a critical success. The discourse surrounding the film was overwhelmingly negative, so much that it had to be addressed publicly by those involved.

Rather, Gods of Egypt was considered a failure across the board. Firstly, its box office haul of $150 million barely exceeded the cost to make the film ($140 million). Its critical reception hardly helped matters, with the movie performing poorly with critics. At least part of that negative reception can be attributed to its handling of the characters, which was the subject of great controversy.

Gods of Egypt Was Criticized For “Whitewashing” Its Cast

The Film’s Cast Did Not Represent Ancient Egypt

Gods of Egypt received significant criticism for its predominantly white central cast. No actors of Egyptian heritage were cast in the primary roles. Gods of Egypt’s cast of Egyptian gods included Gerard Butler as Set, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Horus, and Brenton Thwaites as Bek. While talented, these actors did not represent Ancient Egypt’s ethnic makeup. Hollywood has a history of whitewashing films about Ancient Egypt. Classic movies like The Ten Commandments and Cleopatra have whitewashing in the lead roles. Gods of Egypt is just a recent example of Egyptian stories being populated with white actors.

Whitewashing is the process of casting white actors in roles that are associated with people of color. This casting often ends up denying people of color, in this case, people of Egyptian ancestry, roles in major Hollywood films. Some might argue that whitewashing is no different from casting people of color in roles that were historically written as white. However, the difference is that films have a history of shutting people of color out of the casting process, even when the films tell their stories. Gods of Egypt didn’t just cast white actors; it exclusively cast white actors in the lead roles.

The most prominent actor of color in Gods of Egypt was the late Chadwick Boseman, who played Thoth God of Knowledge. Chadwick was not of Egyptian descent, and his god was not as prominent as others. Non-white actresses portray the two women with prominent roles in the film, but the actresses are still not Egyptian. Their roles are relegated to the love interests of the leads.

How Gods Of Egypt’s Controversial Casting Affected the Movie

The Movie Was Negatively Impacted By The Casting Choices

Critics and the audience universally panned Gods of Egypt. The film received a critic score of 14% on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 37%. The backlash also contributed to the film’s financial failure at the box office, where it only made $140 million globally. The whitewashing was widely discussed in the media and may have turned audiences away. The film did particularly poorly in the U.S., where much of the discussion was happening.

Lionsgate and director Alex Proyas both released statements apologizing for the film’s lack of diversity, but this was well after the initial backlash began. The movie was unceremoniously released in February to a very weak opening weekend. The film did spark discussion about the importance of not whitewashing cast members in roles specifically written for people of color.

The casting controversy surrounding Gods of Egypt highlights a broad issue concerning casting and diversity in Hollywood. The fact that the film failed at the box office should serve as a warning that whitewashing stories will not automatically lead to better box office numbers. Filmmakers and studios should seek inclusivity to build richer and more meaningful stories.