His film was featured among texts attacked by a British government study on content associated with far-right extremism. The "Prevent" program has also reportedly flagged the complete works of Shakespeare, "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien and the "Great British Railway Journeys" documentary series as works that could lead viewers toward right-wing extremism.
The Daily Mail noted that "Zulu" in particular "had been listed as a 'key text' for 'white nationalists' and 'supremacists' by the Government's beleaguered anti-terrorism Prevent scheme."
KARLOVY VARY, CZECH REPUBLIC - AUGUST 20: Michael Caine receives the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema at the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on August 20, 2021 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and runs from August 20th - 28th. (Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images) (Gabriel Kuchta)
Caine defended his films and career as he spoke to The Spectator via email. "There are no films I wish I hadn’t made," the actor told the news outlet.
Spectator journalist Tanya Gold recounted her interaction with Caine when she mentioned the UK's Prevent program reportedly highlighting Zulu.
"When I tell him that Zulu is listed on the counter-terror Prevent scheme as a piece of culture that incites the far-right, he says: ‘That is the biggest load of bull**** I have ever heard.’"
The legacy of the British Empire and its military conquests that once spanned the globe is a source of controversy today as films from decades-past glorifying this history are subjected to modern, left-wing standards. (REUTERS/Phil Noble)
The Daily Mail added that actual living Zulu royalty has defended the film as well, "leader of the Zulu tribe Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, now 94, who played own his great-grandfather King Cetshwayo in the film, said it should not be viewed through a 21st-century lens."
"Even if the past is uncomfortable, and perhaps especially when the past is uncomfortable, it needs to be examined and unpacked rather than hidden away. Of course race is a central theme in the film," he reportedly told British newspaper, The Times.
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Sir Michael Caine attends the World Premiere of 'King Of Thieves' at Vue West End on September 12, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) ( Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Fox News Digital could not verify the extent of entertainment and literature flagged by the British government program, and the U.K.’s Home Office noted they do not "comment on leaks."