(Originally posted on Nerd Bastards)
As I was watching Gods of Egypt, I was reminded of an episode of Disney’s often-criticized version of Doug. The episode involved a big-shot character named Guy being inspired by a Broadway show to make a musical based on the Mona Lisa. He asks a goofy character named Skeeter to write it.
Skeeter asks: “What’s the story?”
To which Guy responds: “Who cares? It’s the most famous painting ever! It’s gotta be (great), right?”
Guy proceeds to tell Skeeter: “Just remember, it’s gotta be big! Big! BIG! Lights, songs, explosions!”
Skeeter has trouble thinking of a story, so Doug hands him a book of fairy tales. Skeeter ends up writing a cliched story that pretty much rips off Cinderella, and Guy loves it.
And then it hit me: in 1997, Disney’s Doug predicted the inception of Gods of Egypt almost two decades later. Alex Proyas probably skimmed a book on Egyptian mythology and ordered a big-budget blockbuster based on his perception of it. He then proceeded to hire two hapless writers to fulfill his fantasy with absolutely no attention to the story or its characters. Say what you want about Disney’s Doug, but it made a solid prediction if you ask me.
NOTE: This review contains SPOILERS.