Paramount has released a new Ben-Hur featurette online. Directed by Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter helmer Timur Bekmambetov, the film tells the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his brother Messala (Toby Kebbell). Along the way, Ben-Hur learns the value of redemption from Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro).
This new featurette runs through the major plot points and has some interviews with the stars and producer Sean Daniel. However, while it does its best to sell the movie as “epic”, it still hasn’t made a convincing case as to why this version is as good as the original, which won eleven Oscars including Best Picture. That’s not to say that the new version of Ben-Hur will be a “bad” film, but I’m still at a loss as to why it’s a necessary film.
Check out the Ben-Hur featurette below. The film opens August 19th and also stars Morgan Freeman, Nazanin Boniadi, Ayelet Zurer, and Sofia Black D’Elia.
Here’s the official synopsis for Ben-Hur:
BEN-HUR is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption. Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Rodrigo Santoro.
