It looks like Tom Hiddleston is being eyed up for the lead role in BEN-HUR with direction coming from WANTED and NIGHT WATCH’s Timur Bekmambetov.
The THOR actor is said to be a firm favorite with Timur Bekmambetov to play Judah Ben-Hur, in the forthcoming screen adaption of Lee Wallace’s classic 1880 novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ. However, there are rumours that this might not come together at the moment due to Hiddleston’s other work commitments with I SAW THE LIGHT and HIGH-RISE.
Scheduled to be released in cinemas 2016, this new version of the film will follow the younger years of Jewish prince Judah, and his friend Messala, who both grew up in Jerusalem before the Roman Empire took over. The original BEN-HUR was a silent film in 1925, which was then remade in 1959 starring Charlton Heston. The film had the biggest sets ever made for a film at the time, and is considered to be one of the greatest epics ever made, winning 11 Oscars including, Best Picture and Best Director.
Will the 2016 version be able to surpass this, and bring something new to the table? We might even get to see Hiddleston do a lengthy chariot race scene!
Source: Deadline
