The Kidd here...
We can probably file this one in the "Do We Really Need That?" file, but it's looking like MGM is setting in motion plans to potentially make another BEN-HUR.
MGM may have sold their rights to the Charlton Heston film years ago, but the 1880 Lew Wallace novel is public domain, giving the studio the opportunity to do business with Keith Clarke, who wrote a spec script from that source material that'd differ enough from the 1959 classic. According to Deadline, this version of BEN-HUR would focus more on the younger years of Judah Ben-Hur and Massala during their childhood friendship before some attitude changes set in, placing them on opposite sides of a feud. Furthermore, a parallel story of Jesus Christ would be told, with Ben-Hur crossing his path on a few occasions, which leads to him becoming a strong believer in Jesus as the Messiah.
Biblical epics seem to be all the rage these days with NOAH getting done by Aronofsky, in addition to a lot of talk about Moses stories being in development and now Brad Pitt in talks concerning PONTIUS PILATE... but from the sound of this BEN-HUR, it seems as if they're trying to stuff a lot of story into one film that might just be too much for one picture... and please tell me we're not looking at some type of biblical trilogy.
-Billy Donnelly
"The Infamous Billy The Kidd"
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