MGM and Paramount Pictures are forging ahead with a Ben-Hur remake which will be directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), and a release of February 26th, 2016 has been set.

According to a new report, the studio are hoping to cast Tom Hiddleston (Avengers Assemble) as Judah Ben-Hur in the latest adaptation of 1880 Lew Wallace novel Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ which was previously adapted in both 1925 as a silent film and later as the far more famous 1959 version with Charlton Heston.

However, Hiddleston has his hands full with a number of other projects, and it’s not clear whether the British actor has even entered talks as of yet. Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill has also been considered.

This version of Ben-Hur will apparently be much closer to the book, and the site that broke this news have provided a synopsis of sorts giving us an idea of the direction the story will now take.

 

[Ben-Hur features a] parallel storyline involving Jesus Christ. That’s juxtaposed by the blood feud between Judah Ben-Hur and Messala, who grew up best friends before the Roman Empire took control of Jerusalem. Judah Ben-Hur was a Jewish prince and Messala the son of a Roman tax collector. After the latter leaves to be educated in Rome for five years, the young man returns with a different attitude and mocks Judah and his religion. When a procession passes by Judah’s house and a roof tile accidentally falls and hits the governor, Messala betrays his childhood friend and manipulates the accident so that Judah is sold into slavery and certain death on a Roman warship, with his mother and sister thrown in prison for life. Judah vows revenge, culminating in the famed chariot races.

On paper, Tom Hiddleston seems like an ideal choice. However, the actor has made some smart choices since receiving widespread attention for his role as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Will he really team up with the man behind Wanted for a remake of a beloved classic? Stay tuned to HeyUGuys for updates!