Wonder Woman and the Red Viper might be joining Timur Bekmambetov‘s BEN-HUR. It’s being reported Gal Gadot (BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE) and Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal are in talks for lead roles in the upcoming movie.
According to THR, Gadot is in early negotiations to play Esther, a slave Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) falls in love with, and Deadline has learned Paramount and MGM want Pascal to play Pontius Pilate in the remake. In the 1959 Charlton Heston film, Esther was played by Haya Harareet, and Pontius Pilte was played by Australian character actor Frank Thring.
Timur Bekmambetov has a decent cast lined-up for his new movie. Besides Jack Huston, BEN-HUR also stars Toby Kebbell as the villain Messala and Morgan Freeman as Ildarin, a slave who teaches Huston’s Ben-Hur the art of chariot racing. Production on BEN-HUR will begin early next year in Europe.
I really liked Timur Bekmambetov‘s NIGHT WATCH and DAY WATCH, but WANTED and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER? Eh, not so much. Still, I’m interested in seeing how Bekmambetov’s version will be different compared to other adaptations of the Lew Wallace novel.
BEN-HUR will be in theaters on February 26, 2016.