I know, I know, I know. It’s been 50 years since the movie. But I’m still not interested. As Variety has the news.

Wyler, whose father William helmed the 1959 classic Oscar-winning feature starring Charlton Heston, is producing the new version as a miniseries with Alchemy TV.

Christian Duguay (“Coco Chanel,” “Human Trafficking”) will helm the $30 million project, which is due to start lensing later this year.

The new version will be based more specifically on the 1907 Lew Wallace source novel than either the 1959 version or earlier 1925 adaptation.

Wyler is looking to skew the lead role younger into his mid-20s. New version will also likely downplay the religious aspects of the source material.

I’ve never read the novel, but it’s now on my list. Although I have seen the 1925 version a dozen times or so. It is an interesting silent film.

For me, “Ben Hur” is the greatest movie I’ve ever seen. I’ve watched it over a hundred times since I was a child. I consider it perfection, and I don’t think you should try to improve upon perfection. A ‘younger’ lead and downplaying ‘the religious aspects’ will go far in making it a different movie. It seems that they are trying to make it politically correct.

Curious timing that this is announced so soon after Heston’s passing. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I don’t object to any form of entertainment being remade. But it doesn’t mean I have to be interested in it.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 9:37 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.