A top Islamic institute in Egypt has called for a ban on the upcoming Bible movie "Noah." Islamic representatives argue that "depicting Allah's prophets in art is a crime; not art," and the origination states that the provocation of people, violates Islamic law.

A main Sunni Muslim Institute, Al-Azhar, said in statement on Thursday that films like "Noah" are "contrary to faith and to the fundamentals of the Islamic Sharia [law]," and Al Arabiya News reports that they are prohibiting the airing of movies that represent biblical figures.

"Al-Azhar renews its rejection to the screening of any production that characterizes Allah's prophets and messengers and the companions of the Prophet [Muhammad]," the institute said, adding that productions similar to the Bible Epic "provoke people's feelings."

The "personal characterization" of Noah is "prohibited in Islamic Shariah ... and constitutes a clear violation of the principles of Islamic law stipulated by the Constitution," Al-Azhar argued.

A member of the Salafi Call a political party in Egypt, Sheikh Sameh Abdel Hameed, disputed Wednesday that "depicting prophets in art is a crime; not art," as reported by Al Arabiya.

Salafi Call leader Abdel Hameed commented, "Depicting prophets opens the door for questioning their behavior ... Actors cannot accurately imitate the behaviors, manners and appearances of prophets."

The $125 million film, Noah, hits theaters March 28 and was directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Aronofsky and Ari Handel. It follows the biblical tale of Noah as he builds an ark to save his family and a shipload of animals from the coming flood judgment. The film features a star-studded cast of Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins and Logan Lerman.

Some evangelical Christians in the U.S. have also criticized the film for taking creative liberties with the story of Noah that are not found in the Bible.

Evangelical filmmakers like Ray Comfort have insisted that the movie cannot be called a "biblical adventure," and announced that his own version of the story will be released on the same day on DVD and YouTube, called "Noah and the Last Days."

Paramount Pictures even added a brief note to 'Noah' explaining the film's intentions, seemingly in response to criticism faced from some religious groups about how much the movie stays faithful to scripture.

The statement added to the film states:

"The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.