A shipwreck, swordplay and a horse-flipping chariot race are front and center in the new trailer for MGM and Paramount’s remake of the Biblical-era epic “Ben-Hur.”
Also, Morgan Freeman appears in some noteworthy dreadlocks.
The movie also stars Jack Huston, Nazanin Boniadi and Rodrigo Santoro, with Timur Bekmambetov directing a script was co-written by Keith R. Clarke, screenwriter of “The Way Back,” and John Ridley, showrunner for ABC’s “American Crime” and Oscar winner for his screenplay for “12 Years a Slave.” Sean Daniel, Joni Levin and Duncan Henderson are the producers.
The movie is based on the 1880 novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ” by Lew Wallace, which has already been adapted by Hollywood twice, in 1925 and 1959.
It follows the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army.
Charlton Heston earned an Oscar for Best Actor in the title role of William Wyler’s 1959 movie, which earned a total of 11 Academy Awards.
Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption.
Last fall, the release of the movie was pushed back from a pre-Easter slot in February to August 12, 2016.