It won't be long before another BEN-HUR is in the marketplace – the fourth such adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel but the first projected in 3-D. Timur Bekmambetov is in the director's chair this time, marking his first feature since the disappointing ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, and he has Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell has his leads, which typically isn't a bad place to start.
Paramount has released a new trailer for this reimagining of the source material, and it certainly doesn't look half-bad. Visually, it's going to be able to do things that the 1959 couldn't, even if it did capture an Academy Award for Best Picture for the overall package, and with a strong story foundation to begin with, BEN-HUR could be a surprising bit of fun. I mean, Morgan Freeman is involved, so it's at least got that going for it.
I wouldn't expect another Best Picture nominee here, but an entertaining summer romp? Not out of the realm of possibility.
BEN-HUR opens in theaters on August 19.