Egypt bans movie 'Exodus'

"Exodus: Gods and Kings" was banned in Egypt.

"The Ministry of Culture bans the film 'Gods and Kings' for historical inaccuracies," the Egyptian agency said in a statement.

The movie, which stars Christian Bale as Moses, is a re-enactment of the biblical story of the Jews' escape from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, during the time of the pharaohs. Australian actor Joel Hedgerton plays the Pharaoh Ramses in the 20th Century Fox production.

Egyptian Culture Minister Jabir Asfour slammed the film as "Zionist."

"It shows history from a Zionist viewpoint and forges historical events, therefore it is was banned in Egypt," according to state news agency EGYNews.

In 1956, the same biblical story was told in "The Ten Commandments" starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Ramses. That version was filmed on location in Egypt.

"Exodus" is the latest in Hollywood's string of religious-themed movies released this year.

In March, several Muslim countries banned the blockbuster "Noah," saying the depiction of Noah -- whom Muslims revere as a prophet -- is forbidden in Islam.

News of the ban comes on the heels of the limited release of "The Interview," the movie that provoked North Korea to vow "merciless" action against the United States over its lampooning of leader Kim Jong Un. On Saturday, North Korea called U.S. President Barack Obama the "chief culprit" who forced Sony to "indiscriminately distribute" the picture.

(CNN)