Ava DuVernay welcomes director's apology for “whitewashing” film with all-White cast

Selma director Ava DuVernay has welcomed an apology by film-makers accused of "whitewashing" forthcoming adventure movie Gods of Egypt.

Director Alex Proyas and the film’s studio Lionsgate have both apologised for the predominately White cast of the mythological action film, which has been loudly derided for not casting more people of colour.

The cast of Gods of Egypt includes Gerard Butler, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brenton Thwaites, Chadwick Boseman, Geoffrey Rush, Elodie Yung and Courtney Eaton. The trailer for the film was met with criticism, as the lack of diversity in the cast was noted by many.

Bette Midler tweeted her disgust with the predominantly White cast, saying "Movie, #GodsOfEgypt in which everyone is white? Egyptians, in history and today, have NEVER been white. BRING BACK GEOGRAPHY!! It's Africa!"

Proyas issued a statement apologizing for the lack of racial diversity in the cast on Friday. “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.”

Lionsgate also issued an apology that acknowledges the need for more inclusive casting.

“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.​​”

Ava DuVernay, who became the first black female director to receive a Golden Globe nomination for the civil rights movie Selma in 2014, applauded the film-makers' honesty.

"This kind of apology never happens - for something that happens all the time. An unusual occurrence worth noting," she tweeted. "Gods of Egypt makes me value [JJ] Abrams' Star Wars choices more. Makes me cheer more for [Ryan] Coogler's Creed. We all deserve icons in our own image," she added.

Proyas’ apology starkly contrasts with Ridley Scott’s response to similar criticism for his 2014 film Exodus: Gods and Kings, which starred Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton as Moses and Ramses. Scott’s film was banned in Egypt due to “historical inaccuracies.”

Scott defended his decision to cast White actors in the film, saying “I can’t mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such. I’m just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn’t even come up.”