The cast of the upcoming MGM and Paramount remake of BEN-HUR is beginning to take shape. Reports indicate that Tom Hiddleston is being sought out to play Judah Ben-Hur in the Biblical epic. The Timur Bekmambetov (WANTED, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER) directed remake is based on the original novel by Lew Wallace, which was adapted into the 1959 classic starring Charlton Heston.
Oscar-winning 12 YEARS A SLAVE screenwriter John Ridley wrote the most recent draft of BEN-HUR and the producers of The Bible miniseries Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have joined the project. So with those figures in place, it should come as no surprise that the story of Jesus Christ is going to be more prominent in this version. Hiddleston is said to be the top choice to fill Heston’s sandles in the BEN-HUR remake, but it’s not official yet. If you need your Hiddleston fix, he recently wrapped Guillermo del Toro’s CRIMSON PEAK and set to play legendary country star Hank Williams in I SAW THE LIGHT.
BEN-HUR is set to be released February 26, 2016; we will keep you posted on Hiddleston’s status.