'Gods of Egypt' renews concern about inaccurate film casting

Director Alex Proyas and Lionsgate apologized for ethnically inaccurate casting in "Gods of Egypt" — a full three months before the movie is set to hit theaters.

The fantasy epic stars Scottish actor Gerard Butler and Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as mythological Egyptian gods, and a recently released trailer renewed concern about Hollywood's long tradition of casting against race.

While some praised the preemptive mea culpa, including "Selma" director Ava DuVernay and the Casting Society of America, others were more skeptical, concluding that it's simply meant to shut down any further backlash.

In his Netflix show "Master of None," Indian-American comedian Aziz Ansari recently called out the whitewashing of Indian roles in Hollywood films like "The Social Network" and "Short Circuit."

"There was a time when studios thought audiences could handle Mickey Rooney playing I. Y. Yunioshi in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's," said Adam Moore, SAG-AFTRA's National Director of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity. .

From a performer's perspective, it is not supposed to matter what ethnicity, race, sexual orientation or age you are, it's what you can play.

When the issue has come up over the past few years, filmmakers and actors have either stayed silent, cited financial realities Exodus:

The "Exodus" controversy seems ages old to the public, but "Gods of Egypt" had its main cast set over a year before "Exodus" hit theaters last December and wrapped shooting long before Scott's choices were being publicly lambasted.

Casting directors contacted by The Associated Press did not want to comment for this story but the Casting Society of America issued a statement applauding Proyas and Lionsgate for recognizing that authenticity in casting is critical, and reiterating that its members are committed to diversity.