Gods of Egypt Director, Lionsgate Apologise for Lack of Diversity in Gods of Egypt
Gods of Egypt director Alex Proyas, as well as the studio behind the film, have apologised following criticism toward the lack of diverse casting in the fantasy epic.
The film has come under scrutiny for a predominately white-led cast in an African-set period. That cast includes Gerard Butler, Geoffrey Rush, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Brenton Thwaites.
Actress-singer Bette Midler took to Twitter, saying "Moie, #GodsOfEgypt in which everyone is white? Egyptians, in history and today, have NEVER been white. BRING BACK GEOGRAPHY!! It's Africa!"
Lionsgate had this to say in an official press release: "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.
The director, Proyas, released his own statement: 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.
Source: THR
