The Christian Post is featuring an exclusive trailer for the forthcoming film “Ben-Hur.”
The trailer features the lead character Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his own adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebell), who is a Roman army officer. Ben-Hur is then exiled as a slave.
On his journey back to Jerusalem Ben-Hur has several encounters with Jesus (Rodrigo Santoro). The new trailer begins with the scripture found in Jeremiah 40:4: “Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands.” “My life, I give it freely,” Jesus tells Ben-Hur. He inspires Ben-Hur to love, not hate.
“Ben-Hur” is based on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.” There have been several film adaptations. The 2016 version will be released August 19; it was executive produced by Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, Keith Clarke, John Ridley and Jason F. Brown. It was directed by Timur Bekmambetov with a screenplay by Keith Clarke and John Ridley.
Director Timur Bekmambetov offered a statement to Jennie Law of the Christian Post:
The 1959 Ben-Hur is not just a film, it’s a phenomenon that greatly affected the culture of the 20th century. That’s why when I was offered to direct its reincarnation, my initial thought was ‘absolutely not.’ Luckily producer Sean Daniel persuaded me to read the script, which turned out to be this incredibly meaningful story, 2 impressing with not just sensational action but with line-up of amazing life-like characters and deep thinking. Even though the setting and the circumstances are thousands of years ago, the characters’ emotions and actions are relatable and have a modern, universal resonance.
Watch the Trailer here
