Lionsgate cast Egyptian gods with a mostly white ensemble, and backlash hit before release

Lionsgate greenlit Gods of Egypt as a planned franchise-starter set in ancient Egyptian mythology, casting predominantly white and light-skinned actors including Gerard Butler and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the lead roles of Egyptian gods, on a production budget of about $140 million.

When trailers were released ahead of the film, the casting drew immediate and sustained public backlash for whitewashing a story rooted in African and Middle Eastern mythology, forcing both director Alex Proyas and Lionsgate to issue public apologies before the film had even opened.

Gods of Egypt opened to a weak $14 million domestically and closed with about $150 million worldwide — a number that still left the studio in the red once marketing and distribution costs were counted against the $140 million budget, and the planned franchise was scrapped.