MGM and Paramount’s remake of Ben-Hur has made a significant step forward with the impending appointment of Jack Huston to take the leading role.
According to Deadline , the Boardwalk Empire star will play Judah Ben-Hur himself, the champion chariot racer whose story runs parallel to that of Jesus Christ.
It had initially been thought that Tom Hiddleston was at the top of the studio’s wish-list, but regardless of whether that was true or not, Huston appears to be the man to have bagged the role.
Huston joins Morgan Freeman in the growing ensemble, with Freeman having recently been cast as the mentor who trains Ben-Hur in the art of chariot-racing.
Next up will be the casting of chief antagonist Messala, although no names have been linked to that role as yet. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Ben-Hur will open in the UK on 19 February 2016.
