BEN-HUR Trailer

One of the only films that can take on Ghostbusters as the most hated project of 2016 is Ben-Hur. It’s not drawing the same level of public ire, but those with any sense of film history will remember the 1959 epic led by Charlton Heston and immediately wonder why. The complication is that the 2016 Ben-Hur is not a remake of the 1959 film or the 1925 silent version. It’s simply another adaptation of the 1880 book “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ”, allegedly focusing more on the faith-based themes of the book than the 1959 version did.

That seems in line with MGM and Paramount Pictures’ move to bring on producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who have worked on several faith-based projects like Son of God and Woodlawn. It’s possible that the studios are trying to attract both the film nuts and the religious groups, two audiences that haven’t mixed on many films.

The trailer isn’t playing up the religious aspect, though. It’s there, no doubt, but it spends more time showing off the climactic chariot race. This is where the film will have to compete directly with the 1959 version. That’s one of the most famous scenes in film history, shot on a scale that few other films can boast, with its lead actors riding the chariots. Now, in the age of CGI, not everything was done for real, but director Timur Bekmambetov pushed for as much realism as possible. A track was built, scores of horses were used, and a reported 45 days were spent shooting the sequence on location. That’s admirable commitment, and it just might translate into a film that can hold its own against its famous predecessors.

Ben-Hur is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and stars Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell. It will be released in the U.S. on August 19th, 2016 and in the U.K. on August 26th, 2016. For international release dates, click here.

Will you go see another version of Ben-Hur? Let us know in the comments!