'Exodus: Gods and Kings' box office: Biblical epic banned in Egypt and Morocco

LOS ANGELES/CAIRO — Egypt has banned Hollywood's big screen biblical epic "Exodus: Gods and Kings," a 20th Century Fox spokesman said on Friday.

The studio owned by Twenty-First Century Fox Inc declined to give a reason for the ban, but films that depict biblical figures have been prohibited before in the Muslim country.

Morrocco has also reportedly banned the film, which has so far grossed $107 million in two weeks in worldwide release.

"Exodus," helmed by British director Ridley Scott, portrays Moses as a reluctant prophet who rises up against the pharaoh.

"It played to a very diverse audience, and in Hispanic markets was well above the norm," said Spencer Klein, senior vice president and general sales manager for 20th Century Fox, the unit of 21st Century Fox that released the film. "This diversity is a very good indication for long-term playability."

However, critics panned the film for its uneven pacing and lack of emotional connection, giving it just 28 percent on RottenTomatoes.com. In addition, the biblical epic suffered from controversy before even being released: detractors accused movie executives on passing on more biblically accurate minority characters for a white cast and the star power of Christian Bale.

"While the pale skin tones (bronzer is selectively applied) and haphazard mix of American and British accents is distracting, it barely scratches the surface of Exodus's ungainly artificiality," wrote Liam Lacey for Globe and Mail.

"Underwhelming -- with little or no emotional resonance," Susan Granger added for SSG Sydicate. "Moses doesn't even say, 'Let my people go.'"

The film had a "weak script full of misplaced dialogue," Emma Koonse agreed in The Christian Post's review.