‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Has Been Banned in Egypt and Morocco

There was already some controversy leading up to the release of Ridley Scott’s Biblical epic ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings,’ as the director dismissed the white-washing of the cast of the film, which is set in ancient Egypt. Scott brought even more criticism down on both himself and the film when he explained that he wouldn’t have been able to get funding by casting “Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such” in the lead role. Although the film has already been released in the U.S., it’s still causing controversy, as both Egypt and Morocco have officially banned the release of Scott’s latest film.

On Friday, the BBC reported that the censorship board in Egypt has banned the release of the ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings,’ citing “historical inaccuracies,” such as explaining that enslaved Jewish people were forced to build the pyramids, and that the red sea was parted by an earthquake, rather than a miracle performed by Moses. In Egypt, it is prohibited to depict prophets and religious figures in works of art, which makes the release of ‘Exodus’ difficult, as Muslims consider Moses to be a prophet.

According to THR, the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre in Morocco—where parts of ‘Exodus’ were filmed—approved the release of the film, but officials moved to ban ‘Exodus’ from release the day before it was set to premiere. The Cinema Centre then verbally instructed theater managers not to show the film.

This is just the latest bit of trouble for the film, following Scott’s casting of prominent white actors like Christian Bale and Sigourney Weaver in ‘Exodus,’ which is set largely in Egypt.