With news recently breaking that Tom Hiddleston (best known as his Avengers/ Thor: The Dark World alter-ego Loki) is up for the title role in the planned remake of Ben-Hur, we now have one officially confirmed cast member, as Morgan Freeman has just joined the fray.
Also recently cast in Ted 2, Morgan (who’s career, includes the likes of The Shawshank Redemption, and The Dark Knight Rises) is joining the cast of Ben-Hur as the man who will eventually school the hero in the art of chariot racing; suggesting we will get to see an updated version of the iconic scene from the Charlton Heston original.
Based on the 1880 novel by Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur will follow a man named Judah Ben-Hur; a Jewish prince who finds his homeland conquered by the Roman empire, and his best friend (Messala) shipped off to Rome for five years before returning and mocking Ben’s religion, before framing him for murder, selling him into slavery, and sending Judah on a quest for revenge which ends with a rather brutal chariot race.
Due to be directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), from a script by John Ridley (12 Years A Slave), the clearly epic Ben-Hur remake is due to be released on February 19th 2016 in the UK, before making its official US release on February 26th 2016.
Matt Wheeldon – @TheMattWheeldon.
Source: Deadline.
