Paramount And MGM Remaking Ben-Hur

Like a gallant streak of white coming around the bend, Judah Ben-Hur and his chariot are riding high into Hollywood again.

As broken by Variety, studios MGM and Paramount are teaming to remake the legendary American (if you can believe it) story once more, providing more evidence that the Biblical Epic is back.

The studios, who have also united to produce this summer’s Hercules reimagining from Brett Ratner and starring Dwayne Johnson, have agreed to produce a new take on the Ben-Hur character with director Timur Bekmambetov (Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter) at the helm. John Ridley, who scripted 12 Years a Slave, is also set to write this new version of the tale.

We have conflicted feelings about this. While it continues to vindicate the Resurrection of the Biblical Epic, a predicted feat that is no longer too surprising since this spring’s Noah has gone on to gross $300 million worldwide in only three weeks of release. Nonetheless, Ben-Hur (1959) is a personal favorite of mine and is arguably the best movie ever based around a biblical story.

Granted, the 1959 picture, which was directed by William Wyler and starred cinema’s closest approximation of a marble statue in one Charlton Heston, is also a remake of the iconic 1925 movie of the same name. And both are adaptations of American Civil War Union veteran General Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. However, Ben-Hur is obviously one of those rare instances where the film adaptation’s cultural impact, at least in the 20^th century-onwards, transcends its literary source. Also, it is hard to imagine CGI or digital video surpassing the stunning use of 70 millimeters and in-camera stunts for the chariot race.

But like the titular hebrew, perhaps we should stop fighting with our own self-doubts and embrace the future to come?

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