William Wyler was responsible for the Oscar-winning film Ben-Hur back in 1959 starring Charlton Heston.
Now, Wyler’s son, David, is going to do a remake.
Why?????????????
The announcement was made a few days after Heston’s passing.
Heston won th Academy Award for best actor in Ben-Hur, for his portrayal of the prince Judah Ben-Hur.
David Wyler is producing the feature as a mini-series with Alchemy TV. According to reports, the $30 million project will start later this year.
Wyler told Variety, “We’ve got a joke that this is the family business. In my mind this is dedicated to my dad and Chuck. We think it’s a great way to keep his memory alive.”
The new version of Ben-Hur will be based more on the original novel and less on the two earlier adaptations. It will also feature a younger lead character and focus a bit less on the religious aspects.
Wyler stated, “We want to look at the spirituality within the piece rather than directly relating it to a specific religion. It├óΓé¼Γäós a very complex story. It├óΓé¼Γäós been 50 years since my father├óΓé¼Γäós version and we think we can bring something new and contemporary to it in the same way that ├óΓé¼╦£Gladiator├óΓé¼Γäó did for that genre.├óΓé¼┬¥
The mini-series has already been sold to Canada, Spain, and Germany. There is also negotiations with two networks and a cable channel for the US rights.
Will U go watch?
This may not even air in America!