Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings has been banned in Egypt because of what censors described as "historical inaccuracies." The Biblical epic, which sparked a boycott movement because of its perceived racist casting decisions, may also have been banned in neighboring Morocco.
The head of the Egyptian censorship board claims the film's depiction of Jews as having built the Pyramids, and that an earthquake, not a miracle by Moses, caused the Red Sea to part is not in line with historical facts.
BBC News points out that according to the book of Exodus, Jewish slaves were led to freedom by Moses after God inflicted a series of plagues on Egypt. The Pyramids are believed to have been built about 1,000 years before the story of the Exodus.
The film has attracted considerable controversy in the U.S. for casting white male actors like Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton to play the "gods and kings," while relegating actors of color to play "lower class citizens, slaves and thieves." Director Ridley Scott addressed the controversy by telling Variety: "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." 

Exodus: Gods and Kings, which cost a reported $140 million to make, took $24.5 million on its debut weekend and has been panned by critics.
Click here to win a trip to the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration in Phoenix, AZ, plus 4 tickets to the Big Game. 

BET.com is your #1 source for Black celebrity news, photos, exclusive videos and all the latest in the world of hip hop and R&B music.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.