'Gods Of Egypt' Slammed By Critics For Complete Lack Of Diversity

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —  Days before Hollywood is about to celebrate their best movies, one that hasn't even opened yet is being called "the worst."

"Gods of Egypt," starring Gerard Butler, is about to open Friday.

KCAL9's Peter Daut says from the sound of a review in Variety, the movie might be better off never seeing the light of day.

Set in Egypt, the film is being slammed for being 99.9 percent white and for Butler's Scottish accent.

Variety wrote,  "A chintzy, CG-encrusted eyesore that oozes stupidity and self-indulgence from every pore."

In a word, "Gods" is, they said, "Gods-awful."

It's a big-budget movie that  Lionsgate hopes will launch a new fantasy-adventure franchise. But critics say "Gods Of Egypt" is nothing to worship and that's putting it mildly.

Variety critic Justin Chang is garnering a lot of attention on social media for the scathing review. (Read entire review here.)

He hated what he called the cheesy special effects, actor Gerard Butler's unexplained Scottish accent but his saved his harshest criticism for the fact the majority of the main characters are all played by white actors.

"What we've seen with the Oscars, what we've seen for the outcry for more diversity in the industry, this movie is just landing at the worst possible time," he says,

And many critics seem to agree.

"This overstuffed, witless and bloated stillborn $140 million epic is unlikely to spawn the studio's intended franchise," wrote The Hollywood Reporter. And the New York Daily News wasn't much kinder:  "The only dark-skinned god is a prancing poser who seems to be auditioning for "RuPaul's Drag Race."

RELATED LINK: 'Gods Of Egypt' Studio, Director Apologize For White Cast

Even people who only saw the film's trailer are posting opinions on YouTube:

"Egyptians weren't white, ya'll need to stop!" said one man. And "Wait, the only black person in the trailer is cowering behind a chair?" said another.

Chang expects that "Gods of Egypt" will join other major box-office blunders, including 2012's "John Carter" a movie that lost Disney an estimated $200 million.

It's possible international audiences may see the film differently saving it from an early afterlife.

In America, box office analysts expect "Gods of Egypt" to make only about $15 million in its opening weekend, far below its $140 million budget.