"Ben-Hur" is one of the most famous films in Hollywood history. The film garnered 11 Oscar victories at 1960 Academy Awards and its climactic chariot race is one of the most recognized sequences in cinema. It seems however that MGM Studios is not content to leave the classic film's legacy alone as plans for a reboot have commenced.
According to numerous reports, the company is looking to buy a spec script for a film based off the 1880 Lew Wallace's novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ." The new version is being scripted by Keith Clarke, with Sean Daniel and Joni Levin set to produce the film.
The new adaptation will apparently be more faithful to Wallace's novel as it will follow the story of Jesus Christ more closely than the original film did. That film followed around Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who is betrayed by his Roman friend Messala. After being a slave for years, Ben-Hur eventually rises to prominence and saves his mother and sister from leprosy. Throughout the film, Ben-Hur has a few chance encounters with Christ. This version will follow Christ's story all the way to the end with some interjections from Ben-Hur. According to Deadline, the film will tell the story of Messala and Ben-Hur's early years and detail their friendship prior to the betrayal.
The decision to follow the journey of Jesus Christ is in line with Hollywood's new emphasis on Biblical stories. Brad Pitt is apparently in talks to play the role of Pontius Pilate and Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott are supposedly interested in directing Moses films. Darren Aronofsky has been working on "Noah" with Russell Crowe.
MGM recently released "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and "Skyfall" and both films are projected to have brought in over $2 billion for the company.
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