Gods of Egypt: ten years on, remembered for whitewashing and bad reviews

Alex Proyas' action-fantasy Gods of Egypt opened ten years ago and was almost universally derided by critics, audiences and Egyptologists. The $140 million spectacle, aiming for the effects-driven tone of 300 and Clash of the Titans, is set in a version of ancient Egypt where the gods live among people; its plot begins with Set interrupting Horus’ coronation, killing Osiris and stealing Horus’ eyes.

A year later, a thief named Bek and his girlfriend Zaya steal one of Horus’ eyes, Zaya is killed, and Bek partners with Horus to recover the other eye and resurrect her, battling monsters and rival gods along the way. The louder controversy, however, was the casting: nearly all the leads are white — three Australian actors, one Danish and one Scottish — with Chadwick Boseman the only person of color in the primary cast, playing Thoth.

That casting drew criticism in late 2015, prompting joint apologies from Proyas and Lionsgate before release.

Egypt

gods of, alex proyas, whitewashing, casting controversy, chadwick boseman, lionsgate, ancient egypt, egyptologists, visual effects, horus