Production stalls on Egypt's 'The King' over Pharaonic accuracy
While some Egyptians see the suspension of work on the series "El-Malek" as controlling creative expression, others feel that the move is necessary to protect Egypt's identity from historical inaccuracies.
CAIRO — Artists and social media activists started using an Arabic hashtag April 6 saying “Let’s watch before we judge” in support of the makers of the series of “El-Malek” ("The King"), after production company United Media Services said it is suspending the series following criticism over alleged historical inaccuracies.
On April 4, United Media Services suspended filming and a committee will review the series' historical accuracy. The series will not be shown during the major TV season of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which began April 13.
The trailer for "El-Malek," which tells the story of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ahmose I, first aired on March 31. It was immediately bombarded with criticism on social media, over alleged historical inaccuracies concerning the characters’ appearance, including wardrobe and accessories.
Archeologists including Egypt’s former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs Zahi Hawass joined the outcry against the series. He said in press statements that Egyptian actor Amr Youssef was not the right choice to play Ahmose I because Youssef is blond and the ancient king had dark skin with Upper Egyptian features. Hawass also said that Youssef’s thick beard as well as some of the costumes were not true to the Pharaonic period, during which ancient Egyptians were clean-shaven and wore white clothing made from linen.
