It would appear that Jack Huston is on some power people’s minds in Hollywood these days. A mere weeks after being rumored to be a frontrunner for Marvel’s Doctor Strange, Huston has found himself another iconic role: He’ll play Judah Ben-Hur in a new big screen take on the 1880 novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ.” Similar to how Adam Driver was in the running for an undisclosed role in Batman v Superman, and then ended up landing a part in Star Wars: Episode VII, it would appear that when one big production wants you others suddenly become keenly interested in you, too.
Huston is best known for his work on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, but also appeared in last year’s critical darling American Hustle. He’ll now play the role most famously inhabited by Charlton Heston in 1959’s Ben-Hur. This new take, just like the book, will tell the tale of a falsely accused nobleman who survives years of slavery in order to seek revenge on the man who betrayed him.
The film is being directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), and written by John Ridley (12 Years A Slave) and Keith R. Clarke (The Way Back). The film is set for a February 26, 2016 bow- which is around the time of year that Russell Crowe’s biblical epic, Noah, scored a $359 million haul.
SOURCE: Variety