Ben-Hur remake planned by MGM
A new version of epic drama Ben-Hur is in development at MGM, it has been claimed.
Deadline.com reports the studio plans to follow its box office hits Skyfall and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with a remake of the Charlton Heston classic.
The Ben-Hur update will be based on a spec script by Keith Clarke and is reportedly much closer to Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ than the 1959 film of Ben-Hur.
The story centres on Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur who is wrongly sold into slavery and vows to take revenge on those who wronged him.
Producer Sean Daniel said: "It's one of the great stories of friendship and betrayal, and faith, that works in the context of a big onscreen action thriller for a global audience."
MGM's Ben-Hur remake is one of several Biblical-themed movies in the works, with Darren Aronofsky shooting Noah and Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott both developing Moses films.
Watch the trailer for the 1959 version of Ben-Hur below:
